


Gail x Holly Prompt Haven

by pleasanthell



Category: Rookie Blue
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-26
Updated: 2014-08-10
Packaged: 2017-12-30 12:01:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 82
Words: 75,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1018361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pleasanthell/pseuds/pleasanthell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of prompts that I filled on Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Gail saw Holly’s car parked outside when she came in from shift. She had some paperwork to do, but she was sure that Holly was done for the day. They planned to meet at The Penny after work, but Holly usually went home before meeting Gail.

Gail walked into the Division and saw her girlfriend walking down the hallway, putting a folder in her bag. Gail walked up behind her and tapped Holly on her opposite shoulder, making her look away.

Holly smiled when she looked to her right and didn’t see anyone there. She turned to her left and spotted Gail, “No one has done that to me since third grade.”

"Yeah well, it’s a lost art," Gail tilted her head with a smile, "What are you doing here? Did you bring me something?" The last question was hopeful because she was starving.

"Actually, I-"

"Dr. Stewart," Traci smiled as she walked up to the pair. Oliver was right behind her, "We’re ready for you."

"Great," Holly smiled back. "I’ll be right there."

"Hey, Steve wants to go camping," Traci pointed between Gail, Holly, and Oliver, "Couples weekend?"

"Sound fun," Holly smiled.

"Camping, Holly?" Gail sighed and looked at Holly.

Holly grinned and poked Gail’s vest, “I’ll bring the scotch and the cheese puffs.”

"Fine," Gail huffed with a pout.

"I’ll ask Celery," Oliver nodded, "But she usually like nature things."

"Alright," Traci put her hands on her hips, "Are you ready to go over the crime scene photos with us?"

Holly nodded, “Definitely.” She turned to Gail. “I may be a little late.” She kissed Gail’s cheek then suddenly remembered their no PDA rule. Holly looked away and muttered, “Sorry. I forgot.”

Gail smiled and grabbed the front of Holly’s shirt. She pulled her in for a proper kiss. Holly’s lips slid between Gail’s and Gail deepened the kiss.

All of the sudden, Gail pushed Holly away. “Geez, Stewart, get to work.”

Holly chuckled and nodded, “See you later.”

Gail smiled back and waved, “I’ll save you a seat.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set after 4x13 Gail's still working out what's going on with her and Holly, it's new, exciting and overwhelming. She ends up blurting out to Traci that she's kissed - is kissing - Holly while they're at work. (I love Traci/Gail friendship so I hope it's okay to request brotp kinda stuff)

"Anyway, Leo walks into his class and declares himself sheriff," Traci smiled and shook her head. It took her a minute to realized that Gail wasn’t actually listening.

Traci chanced a glance away from the road and looked in the passenger’s seat at Gail, “Gail?”

The blonde blinked back into the conversation and added, “Yeah, kids, right?”

Traci chuckled, “You weren’t listening.”

"Sorry," Gail looked down at her lap. 

"What’s up?" Traci asked, "You’ve been really quiet all day. It’s kind of unnerving."

Gail shook her head, “I’m just preoccupied.”

"You know sometimes it helps to talk about it," Traci offered.

A silence settled over the car and Traci figured that Gail was just going to shut everyone out as usual.

Traci opened her mouth to inform her about the crime scene they were about to roll up on, when Gail blurted out, “I kissed Holly.”

Traci blinked and then asked, “Holly, like Holly Stewart from the forensics lab?”

Gail nodded, “I mean, she kissed me first, at the wedding, but we had been drinking. But I - I kissed her. Sober. Right before we went out to find Ford. We kinda made out in the interview room. And now I don’t really know where we stand because she’s all chill about everything. Like everything is back to normal.”

"Do you want it to go back to normal?" Traci asked. 

"Yes," Gail said immediately, but then looked out the window, "No." She sighed, "I don’t know."

"Is it freaking you out because she’s a woman?" Traci asked, understandingly.

Gail looked down, “I - sorta. I mean, I don’t care what anyone else thinks, but… It’s different. And she’s like, I tell her stuff. We tell each other stuff, you know? And if we started dating, you know how I mess that up every single time,” Gail shook her head, “I don’t wanna lose her because I suck at relationships.”

"But you want a relationship with her?" Traci pulled to a stop at a stop light and looked over at Gail.

Gail looked over at Traci and held her eyes for a few seconds before nodding, “Yeah, I do.”

Traci smiled, “I’ve never seen you this torn up about anyone.” When the light turned green she took off, “I think if you figure she feels the same way, you should go for it.” 

"Yeah right," Gail leaned on the window.

When Traci stopped at the crime scene, they both got out and walked past the police tape at the perimeter. They continued into the warehouse where the body was found. 

They could see the bright lights of the forensic team from far away. As they continued to walk, Traci smirked, “I’d figure out what you want to say if I were you because I see Dr. Stewart examining that body.”

"Oh crap," Gail said. 

When they got to the crime scene, Holly looked up, “Hey Detective Nash.” Then she nodded to Gail, “Gail.”

"Hey, Dr. Stewart," Traci grinned, "What do we have here?"

"It looks liked a stabbing," Holly turned back to the body to continue gathering evidence, "I’m not sure what with, but I’ll find that out in the lab."

"I," Gail started, but then froze, "I’m gonna go talk to the officers outside."

Holly looked up at Traci with a quirked eyebrow as Gail quickly walked away. Traci just laughed and continued looking around the crime scene.

When Holly was done, the body was loaded into the van, and Holly made her way out to her car with Traci.

"I can call you with the results," Holly offered.

"Actually," Traci touched Holly’s arm, "Why don’t you take Officer Peck with you?"

Gail looked up when she heard her name. She glared at Traci when Holly looked away, but Traci just laughed.

Holly walked to her car and opened the door for Gail before walking to her side of the car. Gail sat down in the front seat of the familiar sedan.

"Do you want to get some coffee or do you want to go straight to the lab?" Holly asked as she started her car.

"Do you wanna go out sometime?" Gail asked suddenly.

Holly stopped pulling out of the parking lot and looked at Gail with a grin, “What?”

"I mean, for dinner," Gail shrugged, "Or coffee? Batting cages? or like dancing?" Gail shook her head, "Not batting cages."

Holly smiled fully and nodded, “Yeah, okay. Sounds fun.”

"Really?" Gail asked, still unsure.

Holly nodded, “Yeah.” She pulled out onto the street. She looked over at Gail’s small smile and smirked, “I thought you’d never ask.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A double-date scene between Steve/Traci and Gail/Holly at the Penny. Steve and Gail are getting the drinks and Traci/Holly bond over how irritatingly arrogant yet charming the Peck's are. Traci mentions that Steve added his number into her phone as 'Captain of the Universe'. Holly shows Traci that Gail named herself in her phone as 'Champion of the world'...

Steve leaned back in his chair and looked across the table at his sister. “Did you hear about the coke ring I busted yesterday?”

Gail rolled her eyes, “Please. I handed you that coke ring with a box on it.” She twirled her drink in her hands, still a little pissed at Steve for sweeping in and taking it over an hour before she was going to arrest the head guy. Although it wasn’t really his call.

Holly looked over at Gail. She had heard the ranting and the raving about how Steve was just doing it for the glory and to make their parents proud. Holly actually had to talk Gail into showing up to this double date.

Holly moved her eyes to Traci who was sipping her drink. She’d been witness to more Peck siblings arguments than Holly had so she just sat quietly through them with an amused smirk.

"You’re just mad because I showed you up at the gun range," Gail quipped.

"Please," Steve looked around. Then he pointed over his shoulder, "I could shoot the 12 off of that clock."

"Well of course you can," Gail leaned on the table. "Given a gatling gun and about half an hour."

Holly finished off her drink and rattled her ice around in the glass. “I’m out.”

Gail immediately withdrew form the argument. She turned in her chair toward Holly and picked up her empty glass. “Another of the same?”

Holly nodded with a smile.

Gail smiled back and kissed her before taking the empty glass to the bar.

Traci caught on and quickly finished her drink. Steve did much the same thing that Gail did and sauntered off to the bar.

When Traci found Holly’s eyes, they both started laughing. 

"How are they both so arrogant and so charming?" Traci asked. 

Holly shook her head, “No idea. What are we going to do with them?”

"I guess we’ll have to keep them around for a while," Traci looked over her shoulder at the bar where Gail and Steve were arguing about something. "Why do I get the feeling that this night will end at the gun range?"

"Because we probably are," Holly looked at her phone as it buzzed on the table. She picked it up and found a sweet text from Gail telling her that she looked gorgeous tonight. Holly shook her head with a smile and looked at the bar, meeting Gail’s eyes. Gail blushed slightly, but grinned. 

Holly was midway through answering the text when Traci got a text as well. Traci laughed. “Chris is sitting at the bar and said that we better get ready to head to the range.”

"They’re never going to stop trying to outdo each other are they?" Holly asked, conversationally.

Traci shook her head. “Especially not when they both have the same giant sized head.” Traci pressed a few buttons on her phone and showed Holly, “This is what Steve put as his name in my phone.”

Holly read the title of the contact card, “Captain of the Universe.” Holly laughed and clicked around her phone. “Are lease we know they’re related.” She showed Traci what Gail put her number in Holly’s phone as:

"Champion of the World"


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gail x Holly; Gail realizes Holly is wearing her (Gail's) clothes and it reminds her of their conversation at the wedding,

Gail walked into her bedroom after her shift. She had showered before going into the bedroom because she knew there was someone waiting for her in her bed. 

Gail stepped quietly into her bedroom and closed the door behind her, dropping her dirty clothes into the hamper next to her. 

The lamp was still on next to her bed and she surveyed her girlfriend sprawled out everywhere. Holly had kicked off the blankets so much that thy only covered one of her calves. Holly was asleep on her stomach, one leg bent with both of her arms under her pillow. 

Gail recognized one of her sweaters riding up Holly’s torso, exposing a sliver of her lower back. Holly’s black underwear were the only other garment she was wearing.

Gail crawled up the foot of the bed, placing a kiss on the back of Holly’s thigh and then one on the small of her back, before moving the wild hair away from Holly’s neck to drop one last kiss. 

Holly slowly woke and rolled onto her side with a smile as Gail laid down next to her. “Hey, you’re back.”

Gail kissed Holly’s lips lightly, “Nice sweater.” Gail broke away from Holly for only a moment to turn off the lamp. She put her arms around Holly’s waist and pulled her closer.

Holly smiled sleepily and slid her arms around Gail’s shoulders and rolled back so that Gail’s head was on her check, “I came straight from work.” She kissed the top of Gail’s damp hair, “I couldn’t find anything in fleece.”

Gail grinned remembering their conversation at the wedding about sharing clothes. “When I dated guys I didn’t get it when they said they liked me in their clothes, but now I do.” Gail tilted her chin up and kissed the underside of Holly’s jaw, “You look good in my clothes.” She nipped at Holly’s neck, knowing the things that that simple act did to Holly’s libido, “Almost as good as you look out of them.”

=+=+= Alternate Fill =+=+=+

"Where’s Holly?" Chris asked, lifting his mug of beer to his lips.

Gail checked her phone for the time, “She had an autopsy that Swarek asked her to do tonight. She’s going home to change then she’ll be here.”

"Do you guys ever wonder if she should go to a different bar?" Dov asked, "We keep going to the same bar every night."

"But it’s a cop bar," Nick leaned back in a chair, "It’s our bar."

"I’m just worried that we’re not expanding our social circle enough," Dov finished his beer, "What if we went to that bar down the street, uh, The Voodoo Room."

"The only people that go to the bar are business executives," Andy made a face, "They’re boring. C’mon it’s fun here."

"And we totally expanded our social circle," Chloe bumped Dov’s shoulder.

"Granted that Holly is a step up from all of your lugs," Dov grinned, "I still think we need more friends outside of the force."

"What brought this on?" Chloe asked.

Gail didn’t hear the answer because she saw Holly walk in. Holly’s said hi to a few officers who recognized her as she made her way to Gail’s table. 

Gail stood up and gave Holly a kiss when she arrived. She pulled out the empty chair next to her that she had been using for her feet. 

Holly smiled, “Hey.” As she sat down, she looked at the group, “Hey.”

"Where do the doctors drink?" Dov asked Holly immediately.

Chris and Nick got up to get everyone another round as Holly answered, “There’s a bar across the street from the hospital called, uh, O’Flannigan’s, I think.”

"We should go there," Dov looked over at Chloe, "I’m just trying to better myself. I’m trying to grow."

Chloe smiled and kissed Dov. She patted his chest, “If you want to, tomorrow night we’ll go to O’Flannigan’s.”

Gail leaned back in her chair, sipping her drink. She liked that Holly got along with her friends. She caught Holly looking at her and they shared a smile.

"Hey Traci," Andy stood up and hugged her detective friend, "I didn’t think you were coming out tonight."

"I wasn’t going to, but Dex wanted to keep Leo tonight," Traci looked around for an extra chair, but there didn’t seem to be free one.

"Here," Gail said. She tugged on Holly’s sweater and pulled her over, guiding Holly onto her lap.

Holly sat sideways on Gail’s lap. Gail smiled and wrapped her arms around Holly’s waist. She noticed something peculiar about Holly’s sweater.

"Is this my sweater?" Gail asked.

Holly smiled guiltily, “You left it at my place last week.”

"What happened to not borrowing my clothes?" Gail teased Holly. She poked Holly’s side, "Not your style."

Holly laughed, “I’m sorry.” She wrapped her arms around Gail’s neck. “Do you want me to take it off?”

Gail kissed Holly and then kissed her neck, “Yes.”

"Then you’ll have to buy me another drink and then invite me home with you," Holly kissed Gail again. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gail x Holly, domesticity meme

Gail poured her cleanse juice into her water bottle. She made a face, knowing how bad it was going to taste. But since Holly had become friends with her friends, they’d all started going out and partying a lot harder. She needed the cleanse so she could survive her upcoming weekend in Niagara.

Holly walked in wearing a large long sleeved shirt and hot pants. She walked up behind Gail, kissed the side of her neck. “What time do you go on shift?”

"I have an hour," Gail leaned back into Holly. 

Holly moved to the refrigerator, “Can I make you something?”

Gail took a swig of her cleanse juice and made a disgusted face. “No thanks.” 

Holly picked out a piece of left over pizza and moved to get some already made coffee. “Coffee?”

"This is disgusting," Gail took another drink. She held it out to Holly, "Try it."

Holly poured the coffee, put the pot down and then accepted the water bottle from Gail. She took a large drink and then almost gagged. She handed the bottle back, “Why do you do that to yourself?”

Gail didn’t answer. She just smiled. She moved forward and pinned Holly to the counter. Holly was surprised with a kiss, but went with it, moved her arms around Holly’s neck.

Holly smiled when Gail pulled back, “Not that I’m complaining but what was that for.”

Gail looked down at her drink. “You drank it.”

Holly looked skeptically at Gail, but shrugged. There were things she knew she’d never understand about Gail, but she knew that she loved Gail so it didn’t matter.

Holly took a bite of her pizza. “I’m going to go get dressed.”

Gail took the pizza from Holly and put it back in the refrigerator. She grinned slyly and took Holly’s hand, “I’m gonna help.”

"You’re gonna help me get dressed?" Holly asked, looking at her hand where the pizza was, mourning the loss of her breakfast.

"Oh did you say dressed?" Gail guided her to the bathroom, "I thought you meant undressed."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your choice or who and where but people's reaction to witnessing a loved up Gail with Holly.

Dov reconvened his trivia night team. After Chloe fully recovered, things went back to normal. Dov insisted on it. 

Gail was sitting at the table, bored. She kept answering questions she had no idea what the answers were. She kept looking at her phone and wondering where Holly was. She was supposed to have finished up an autopsy half an hour ago.

It took another ten minutes, but Holly walked in. She walked over to the table and stood next to Gail, “Hey.” 

Gail smiled and stood up, hugging Holly. “Hey.” Gail pulled back and kissed Holly.

Holly smiled and took of coat off, “You guys seem to be in the middle of something so I’ll be at the bar.”

"No, c’mon," Chris called, "sit down."

"I’ll go get you a drink," Gail told Holly and put her hand on Holly’s back, "The usual?"

Holly nodded and Gail walked off. Holly sat down in Gail’s now vacant chair.

"I’m gonna ask you something," Dov leaned forward on the table, "How do you get her to be so nice?"

Holly laughed.

"Seriously," Chloe added, "She hasn’t called anyone a dumbass in like two weeks and a guy in handcuffs tripped over the curb and face planted into mud."

Holly grinned, “I don’t know.”

"Keep it up," Chris smiled.

Gail walked back to the table and set Holly’s glass in front of her. “You’re just in time for trivia night.”

"Oh good," Holly smiled.

There weren’t any extra chairs so Gail sat down in Holly’s lap. “Hit me, Dov.”

Trivia night really just became a showdown between Dov and Holly. Chris, Chloe, and Gail had a side bet going as to who was going to win.

"You can’t ask anatomy related questions to the pathologist," Dov protested to Chloe who was reading off the questions.

"Hey, I just read the cards," Chloe turned over the next card.

As Chloe was tallying up the score, Chris looked at Gail, “Last chance to go back on your bed.”

"No way," Gail finished off her second drink, "Holly wrote a book."

Holly rubbed Gail’s leg, “Do you need another?”

"Chris can go get me one after you win. He bet me my tab," Gail looped her arm around Holly’s shoulders and kissed her.

"Alright!" Chloe called, "The winner is… drumroll," she drummed her hands on the table, "Dr. Stewart!"

Holly and Gail cheered. Gail handed Chris her glass, “I will take a double.”

Holly slid her glass over to Dov, “Me too.”

Dov huffed and stood up. Chris just laughed and rose with him. They both shuffled over to the bar. 

"I like Gail better when she was angry and bad at trivia night," Dov leaned on the bar.

Chris chuckled and clapped Dov on the back, “C’mon man, she’s happy. I mean look at that.”

Gail rested her forehead on Holly’s and said something. They both laughed and then Gail dipped her head down kissing Holly deeply. 

"Yeah, yeah," Dov picked up Holly’s drink, "But next time we have trivia night, new rule - no PhDs allowed."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think something along the lines of either Gail or Holly seeing something tragic at work and the other one comforts them, or they are working the same case and comfort each other would be nice. Comfort fluff is always a good read.

Gail opened the door to Holly’s apartment. The stashed the keys in her pocket as she shrugged off her jacket. She could see the back of Holly’s head on the couch. “Thank god you’re here. I just had the worst day.” She walked over to the couch and plopped down, “I had to jump into a foam pit after a suspect. I think he was trying to swim away. Oh yeah he was naked so it was-” She stopped when she saw Holly. 

Holly’s eyes were watering and there were tear streaks down her face. Gail immediately turned to her and put her arms around Holly, “What’s wrong?”

Holly sniffled. She wiped her face with the tissue in her hand. “No-nothing.”

"Holly," Gail tilted her head. She knew that Holly knew better.

"There was just," Holly wiped at her eyes, losing the battle to keep her face dry. "There’s a six year old on my autopsy table." She sniffled, "Someone shot him. I don’t know if they did it on purpose, but he was shot and he died." Holly’s face contorted with emotion. Her bit her lip, "He was six."

Gail’s heart broke for Holly. She never really thought about all the things that Holly saw in the morgue. She gathered Holly up her her arms and held her tight, “I’m sorry.”

Holly put her head on Gail’s shoulder and silently cried until she couldn’t anymore. Gail just held her and let her cry. She even teared up herself, knowing how affected Holly was.

"It just sucks, you know?" Holly asked softly. "He had his entire life in front of him and then…" She stopped talking because she could feel herself getting upset again. "What kind of world is this?"

Gail kissed the top of Holly’s head, “That’s why we do what we do. You and me, we try to make sure that things like that don’t happen. Sometimes they do, but we have to keep trying.”

Holly nodded. She closed her eyes. She inhaled, “I know I promised to make you dinner-“

"Don’t worry about it," Gail interrupted her. She took one of Holly’s hands and ran her thumb over Holly’s knuckles. They sat in silence for a while. Gail raised Holly’s hand to her lips and kissed the tops of her fingers. "I love you."

"I love you too," Holly sniffled. She tilted her head up and kissed Gail’s lips.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gail and Holly prompt - Elaine Peck goes to the lab to see Dr Stewart about a case and realises that she is Gail's Holly.

Holly looked up when she heard the door open and her eyes met with a woman in a white police uniform. She had been around the police long enough to know that white meant administration. 

Holly pushed her glasses on top of her head, “Can I help you?”

"Dr. Stewart," the woman moved around the body on the table and offered her hand to Holly, "I’m Elaine. I work with the police department. I’m here on a new initiative - as a liaison if you will to the forensics labs."

"Okay," Holly shook her hand, but wasn’t sure what she was doing.

"I’m here to find out if there is anything the police department can do to make your job easier," Elaine looked at the woman in front of her. "What was your first name again?"

"Holly," the forensic pathologist answered.

"Ah," Elaine looked around the office. She was the author of the initiative and it was something she thought the department needed. However, she didn’t really have to go from tech to tech listening to what they needed. She could have just as easily sent an email. However, she was curious as to this woman that her daughter was dating. Gail had so far refused to bring Holly over for dinner.

Elaine just had to find a way to make sure that this Holly was Gail’s Holly. She thought it over and then asked, “How as your interaction with the officers been?”

"Great," Holly offered, "They’re all professional."

"Do you interact with them socially?" Elaine asked, "Is there a camaraderie? I was thinking that maybe we could do more social activities with the forensics labs, like invite you to our picnics and fundraisers."

"That could be nice," Holly nodded, still wondering what this really had to do with the workings between the departments, "I do socialize with a few of the officers from 15."

"I see," Elaine replied. "And do you believe that having one liaison with your office per district would help?"

Holly shrugged, “That’s not really my area of expertise.”

"Well if you were to pick one officer from 15 who would you choose?" Elaine crossed her arms.

Holly shook her head again, “They’re all very professional.”

Elaine couldn’t figure out how to find out if this was Gail’s Holly. She finally decided to ask, “Are you dating Gail?”

Holly put on her glasses and ran a hand through her hair, about to tell Elaine that she was probably overstepping her inquiry  With her glasses on, she could see the name badge on Elaine’s uniform. “You’re Elaine Peck? Gail’s mom?”

Elaine nodded. “You must be Gail’s Holly.”

Holly felt her mouth go dry. She’s only heard stories about Elaine Peck and most of them were horror stories. “I-I, yeah-yes. Yes, I am dating Gail.”

"It’s nice to meet you," Elaine smiled, however there was something of a warning behind it, "I think I’ve gotten all the information I need for now. Are you free Thursday night for dinner with my husband and my daughter?"

Holly didn’t think there was really any option in the question. She just nodded, “Yeah-Yes. I am.”

"Fantastic," Elaine shook Holly’s hand again, "I’ll call Gail and give her the details." With that, she turned around and strode out leaving Holly gaping after her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gail x holly, first official date :)

Gail took her time getting ready. She was careful with her make-up and took almost an hour on her hair alone. She picked out one of her favorite dresses to wear.

She was ready ten minutes late, but she could hear Holly in the living room talking to Dov about something nerdy.

When she emerged from her room, she found Holly dressed in tight black pants and a light blue oxford shirt. Her legs were crossed, showcasing some beautiful black heels that Gail knew she would be asking to borrow someday.

Holly looked over and saw Gail. She stood up and picked up some flowers off of the coffee table. “You look stunning.”

Gail smiled and took the flowers from Holly, “Flowers?”

Holly nodded and watched Gail put the flowers in an empty vase in the kitchen. Holly held her hand out and when Gail took it, she opened the door, “Are you ready to find out that the best part of the date isn’t actually getting ready?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> argument, please? Something that is unrelated to either of their jobs, more of a domestic or jealously problem. Maybe the first time they have seen another side to one another that isn't all smiley, but nothing to crucial.

"Why would you even do that?" Gail asked, walking around the apartment trying to get ready for her shift.

Holly looked up from the crepes she was making, pushing some of the hair that was falling out of the loose ponytail back behind her ear. She called in the direction of Gail’s voice, “Because you asked me to.”

"Where the hell is my tie?" Gail asked, throwing things around her bedroom.

Dov walked into the kitchen and poured himself some tea. He looked at Holly who was wearing a tank top, tiny sleep shorts, and a limp robe hanging open. “Don’t take it personally. Superintendent Mom is stopping by for an inspection.”

Holly slid a crepe onto a plate and handed it to Dov, “I don’t take anything Gail says personally before nine am.”

"Thanks," Dov picked up a fork and went to sit down, "Have you met Superintendent Mom yet? Or Inspector Dad? Or Police Chief Godfather?"

"I have only met Detective Brother," Holly put another crepe on a plate as Chris breezed in. She handed the crepe off to him.

He kissed her cheek and sat down, “Thank you.” He sat down next to Dov, “Don’t worry. I only met her parents at work.”

"Steve likes you though," Dov mentioned, "That’s points in your favor."

"Steve and I bonded over scotch and a dead drug mule," Holly poured another crepe, "I doubt her parents will be that easy. Especially because I’m not a cop."

"You’re a doctor," Chris offered.

"The weird kind," Holly shrugged. "It doesn’t matter though. She hasn’t shown any kind of interest in my meeting her parents anyway."

"It’s gotta be soon though right?" Dov took a bite of his crepe, "Chloe met my folks like a month ago and you two started dating about the same time."

"Has she met your parents?" Chris turned around in his chair to look at Holly.  
"I don’t have parents," Holly answered, sliding a crepe onto another plate, then starting another one, "But she’s met all my friends."

"Oh yeah," Chris turned back around, "I’m sorry."  
"No need to be sorry," Holly answered.  
The front door opened and Traci walked in. She went straight to the refrigerator and got out a bottle of water. “Good morning.”

"Good morning," Holly smiled and handed Traci a crepe.

"Awesome, breakfast," Traci took the plate, "I only got to eat half a granola bar on my way to take Leo to school. Most of it ended up in my bra." She sat down at the table, "Is Gail freaking out?"

"Yup," Dov and Chris said in unison.

"Has Steve met your parents?" Dov asked Traci.

Traci nodded, “We had dinner two weeks ago.”

"Holly hasn’t met Gail’s parents," Chris explained the strange question so early in the morning.

Traci shrugged, “If my mom was as scary as hers, I wouldn’t have introduced them either.”

"Well they have to meet sometime," Chris stated.

Dov grinned, “Only when there’s a ring on one of their fingers.”

Holly set a teapot in the middle of the table. “It’s not a big deal.”

"Hey, maybe we could go in together," Traci looked up at Holly. "We could have one huge dinner with them and get it over with."

"If there’s two of you then there’s less attention on you," Dov added.

"I’m not the one you have to convince," Holly went back to the stove, slid another crepe out of the pan and then started a new one.

"Jesus Christ where are my damn handcuffs?" Gail yelled.

Everyone looked at Holly who smirked and shook her head, “I have never been handcuffed,” Holly turned back to the crepes, “In official police handcuffs.” She turned the crepe out onto a plate and walked into the bedroom. She leaned on the door, “Your handcuffs are in your locker at the station.”

"Oh yeah," Gail squirmed out from under her bed and stood up.

"Why haven’t I met your parents?" Holly asked.

Gail threw what she needed in her duffel bag, “Because they’re terrible people.”

"They can’t be that bad," Holly watched Gail put some things that she didn’t need into the bag before realizing that and taking them out.

Gail flippantly waved her hand, “You don’t want to meet them.”

Holly quirked an eyebrow, “Really?”

"Really," Gail was getting irritated. She stood up and walked past Holly.

Holly blinked. Gail had never been so quick to dismiss her before. Holly understood that Gail was upset, but being dismissed like that hurt Holly.

Gail plopped down at the table with a crepe that was on the counter. It wasn’t a minute later that Holly was dressed and walking out the door, with a short wave to everyone.

"What was that about?" Traci asked.

Gail huffed, “She asked when she gets to meet my parents.”

"What did you say?" Dov asked.

"I told her that she didn’t want to," Gail took a bite of her crepe, "These are good who made them?"

"Holly," Chris stated.

"You really told her how she feels?" Traci asked Gail.

Gail sighed, “It’s not a big deal. Holly understands.”

"Right," Dov nodded, "She left before a breakfast she made because she understands."

"Why don’t you want her to meet your parents?" Chris asked. "They already know you’re dating Holly don’t they? It’s been months."

"They-" Holly stuttered, "Steve knows."

"You haven’t told your parents?" Chris’s eyes grew wide, "Holly is like your favorite person in the world and you haven’t told them about her."

"It’s complicated," Gail stood up and left her food on the table.

Traci got up to follow her. “I don’t think it is,” she offered when Gail stopped to grab her bag. “Your parents will love you no matter what.”

Gail clenched her jaw, “Just - I love Holly. You know that I do. Everything is going okay now. Why do I have to mess with it?”

"Because if you’re hiding it from your parents, it’s not really going okay," Traci answered.

=+=+=+=+

Holly was looking over a badly charred burn victim when she heard footsteps. She made a quick note before looking up.

A woman in a white uniform walked in. She was donning a tight bun at the base of her neck. She addressed Holly, “Dr. Stewart?”

"Yes," Holly adjusted her glasses.

"I’m Superintendent Peck," the woman reached out her hand to shake Holly’s.

Holly took her hand and was momentarily at a loss for words. Then she stumbled out, “What can I help you with, Superintendent?”

"Mom!" Gail opened the door and ran down the stairs to where Holly and her mom were standing. "You were supposed to wait for me."

"I couldn’t help it," Gail’s mom told her daughter, "I had to meet this doctor that my daughter has been dating behind my back." She turned to Holly, "I’ve gone over your the cases that you’ve done autopsies on. None of them were overturned because of the autopsies."

Gail’s mom said that like it was a good thing so Holly smiled awkwardly and tentatively answered, “Thank you.”

"I have to run, but I’ll see you at dinner tonight," the Superintendent told them both. She shook Holly’s hand and kissed Gail’s cheek, patter her daughter’s arm, "Don’t wear anything with sequins."

Just like that, she left.

"I’m so sorry," Gail told Holly. "I told her that I was dating you and she invited us to dinner. So I said I’d ask you while I was dropping off some labs and she insisted on coming with me. Then she ran off while I was dropping off the labs with the tech across the hall." Gail was trying to read Holly’s face. It was hard because she looked partially confused and lost. "I didn’t ask you to meet them yet because I didn’t want you to run off. My mom is insane and my dad will just passively sit around and let her insult people. I love you. And I thought it was cool to have something to myself. Something very special to myself. I already have to share you with my friends because you’re the only one that can challenge Dov on trivia nights at the-"

Holly interrupted Gail by pulling her in with a forceful kiss. She locked her arms around Gail’s neck and deepened the kiss before pulling away. “You had to stop talking.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loving your Gail and Holly fics, I've a question/prompt what do you think they said between the 2nd kiss and leaving the interview room. I can't believe even Gail would just walk out of the room without saying something, she's abrupt but there had to be more that we didn't see.

Holly didn’t want to question it too much because in reality, at that point, any time spent questioning it was time with Gail that was wasted. She had known that things were growing between them, but she was wary when she heard of Gail’s distance reputation.

Holly felt Gail pulling her body as close as possible, trying to convey some kind of need.

Finally after a few minutes of making out in the interrogation room, Gail broke away. She rested her forehead on Holly’s and closed her eyes, “I’m sorry.”

"Don’t be sorry," Holly shook her head.

Gail stepped back and looked at Holly, “I just need to- I have to go to work, but we need to talk.”

Holly just leaned back on the table and let Gail say what she needed to say.

"Can I come over after shift?" Gail asked, nervously.

Holly nodded, “Yeah, of course.”

Gail reached up and fixed Holly’s hair, letting it fall back to it’s original state. She kissed Holly again. “I’m uh, I’m gonna go now.”

Holly nodded, “I’m gonna head home.”

"I’ll see you after shift?" Gail asked, still unsure.

Holly smiled, “Yes.”

Gail blushed and smiled, glad that Holly was being cool about everything. She started to walk out, but turned back around stealing one last kiss from Holly.

Holly didn’t mind. She sat down on the table, signaling their staggered departure. Gail gave Holly a quick nod in appreciation and walked out the door. 

After the door closed, Holly couldn’t stop the smile that took over her face. She counted to twenty and then opened the door.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can you write a prompt where instead of just sitting and watching holly on her "date" Gail actually decides to go over to her table and say something and let holly know she's jealous in a very rude way toward hollys date? Haha

"I’m gonna go over there," Gail looked over at Holly and her date.

"You’ve said that six times," Dov looked over his trivia cars.

Chris frowned, “Why would you want to go over there?”

Gail downed another drink and then stood up. She took a moment to gain her balance and then we to the bar. She got two more drinks. 

Then she walked right up to Holly. She set a glass in front of Holly, “Hey.”

Holly looked confused, “Hey.” She stuttered and said, “Uh Gail this is-“

"I owe you a drink," she pushed the drink closer to Holly.

Then Gail put down the other drink in front of her date, “I owe you a drink too.”

"For what?" Holly’s date asked.

"Because I’m going to do this," Gail put one hand on the table in front of Holly and one behind Holly on the booth. She let herself move forward and her lips crashed against Holly’s. 

Holly didn’t have time to react. Gail pulled away and then sauntered off. She grabbed her jacket off of the back of her chair and walked right out of the bar.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> olly and Gail celebrate Holly getting promoted. Either at the bar with the crew or alone together.

“Senior Forensic Pathologist!”

It seemed that that was the shot cry of the night. Gail had organized a huge crowd at The Penny to celebrate Holly’s promotion.

Holly and Gail clinked shots and downed them before slamming the glasses down on the bar. “Jaegermeister never gets any easier.” Gail made a face.

Holly chased hers with some beer. She bit her bottom lip and looked over at Gail. “We do we get to go home and celebrate there, Detective?”

Gail grinned and pulled Holly against her body so that she was trapped between the bar and her girlfriend. “Two more rounds.” She pulled Holly in for a deep kiss.

“What system of English measurement is used to weigh precious metals, instead of avoirdupois?” Dov appeared next to them with a stack of cards in his hand.

Gail elected to ignore Dov and keep making out with Holly. However, Holly pulled away for only a second to say, “The Troy System.”

“Damn,” Dov put the card back. He picked up another one, “What French poet, whose works also included that translation of many works by Edgar Allen Poe-”

“Go bug your wife,” Gail planted her hand firmly on Dov’s cheek and pushed him away. “We’re busy.”

“Baudelaire,” Holly mumbled the answer to the question even thought Dov had stumbled away.

Gail turned Holly around and pushed her against the bar. “You’re such a nerd,” she mumbled against Holly’s lips. “A hot, sexy nerd.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've always had this cute scene in my head where Gail would try to be romantic by cooking Holly breakfast in bed but is really not a great cook and it got all burnt and what not. Holly discovers her and thinks it's so cute and sweet. Fluff ensues :)

Gail could smell something burning, but she wasn’t sure what it was. She looked at the eggs and then looked at the bacon. Finally when smoke started coming out of the toaster. She squealed and unplugged the toaster. In a panic she threw it in the sink and turned the water on.

As she tried to get the soggy and burnt toast out of the toaster when she realized that there was another burning smell. She looked over her shoulder and realized that the eggs were now smoking. She grabbed that pan and threw it in the sink under the water.

She looked over at the bacon and saw that it wasn’t burnt yet so she had that going for her. She walked over to the pan, but slipped on some water on the floor. She hit the handle of the pan and the grease from the bacon spilled out and caught on fire.

The fire alarm went off and Gail frantically searched the cabinets for a fire extinguisher. She couldn’t find one as the rest of the bacon pan caught fire. She finally found in the cabinet next to the refrigerator. She started spraying the fire.

Holly ran into the kitchen in underwear and a t-shirt, “What’s going on?”

After the fire was out, Gail put the fire extinguisher down. She sighed as the smoke alarm stopped screaming, “I was making you breakfast in bed.”

Holly put her hand over her mouth to try to cover up her grin. She looked around the kitchen. There was a toast and a pan in the sink both covered in water and floating, burnt eggs. The stove was covered in white foam. Holly struggled not to burst out laughing. She just shook her head, “I see you have everything under control.” Holly turned and walked quickly back to the bedroom so she could bury her face in a pillow before she burst out laughing.

Holly got her glasses from the nightstand and put them on after she was laughed out. Holly was about to go see if Gail needed help cleaning up when her girlfriend appeared at the door with a tray in her hand. 

Holly couldn’t see what was on it, but she hoped it wasn’t the toast she saw floating in the sink. She sat up and leaned against the headboard. She smiled when Gail set the tray down on the middle of the bed and sat down.

There was a bowl with a spoon next to it. The bowl was filled with cheese puffs. Also on the tray was a bottle of beer. 

Holly thought that Gail looked a little like a sad puppy and melted at the disappointment on Gail’s face. She grabbed the front of Gail’s shirt and pulled her in for a kiss. “Thank you.”

Gail sighed heavily, “I know it’s not-“

"It’s great," Holly interrupted her and used her shirt to unscrew the beer. She took a sip and then offered it to Gail. Holly put her arm around Gail who leaned into her as they shared their breakfast of cheese puffs and beer. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gail gets hurt somehow on the job and Holly is all worried and takes care of her :)

Holly walked around Gail’s room in her apartment. She started picking up dirty clothes off of the floor. “I’m going to go get your medication.” Holly dropped all the clothes in the laundry basket. “Then I’ll make you something to eat or something. Right? Are you hungry?” Holly didn’t give Gail a chance to answer, “Are you hot? I should probably check the side effects of your pain medicine so that I know what to look for.” Holly started folding the blankets on the bed. “Are you in any pain now?”

Gail grabbed the blanket that Holly was folding and yanked on it, pulling Holly onto the bed. “You need to chill out.”

Holly sucked in her bottom lip and looked Gail over, “I’m just worried. I’m sorry.”

"Don’t be sorry," Gail melted at the expression on Holly’s face, "Just take it easy. I just sprained my ankle."

Holly nodded and sat up next to Gail. She nodded dumbly and ran her teeth over her bottom lip, “Do you need anything?”

Gail put her hand on the back of Holly’s neck and pulled her in for a surprise kiss. Holly immediately relaxed into it. She kissed Gail back. Gail parted their lips slowly and stroked Holly’s cheek, “I love you.”

Holly was a little surprised by the sudden declaration. She looked into Gail’s eyes and asked, “You do?”

Gail nodded, a little nervous as to how Holly would answer. It wasn’t that far into their relationship. She had been thinking it for a while and like all things Gail thinks, they eventually come out of her mouth.

Holly smiled, “I love you too.” Then she attacked Gail’s mouth with her own, pushing the blonde officer onto her back.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> steve peck finding out about gail and holly

Traci looked over at her phone. She had been doing paperwork for hours and secretly hoped that it was another case so that she could get out of the precinct. Her screen flashed “Captain Of The Universe”. She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Hey Steve," Traci answered her phone.

"What do you know about Holly Stewart?" he asked immediately.

"The forensic pathologist?" Traci asked, confused as to where this line of questions was going.

Steve looked across the waiting room, where his sister and Holly were seated, holding hands. Gail had been overcome with exhaustion and fell asleep on Holly’s shoulders. Holly was just sitting there, reading a book. “Yeah. I need you to run a criminal history check on her.”

"Are you serious?" Traci asked, but even as she did so, her fingers flew across the keyboard to start to search.

"I think she and Gail are dating or something," Steve confessed, waiting for the search results.

"Really?" Traci asked. She sat back in her chair and thought it over, "You know it makes sense. Gail’s been acting weird lately, talking about relationships and she’s been less sarcastic than usual."

Steve leaned on a vending machine and crossed his arms.

Traci saw the results pop up on the screen, “If this is the right Holly Stewart, she has had no felony arrests. Her name is in an accident report,” Traci clicked on it, “It looked like she was riding her bike and got hit by a drunk driver two years ago.” Traci clicked around, “Other than that, no parking tickets, no misdemeanor tickets in the greater Metropolitan area.” 

"Huh," Steve stood up straight and straightened his jacket, "I guess she’s alright." He paused, "A little weird."

"Then she and Gail will go together well," Traci joked. "I talked to her at the wedding. She’s really sweet and smart. Gail can and has done a lot worse."

"Agreed," Steve nodded, glancing back at Gail who had apparently just woken up. He watched as Holly brushed some stray blonde hair out of Gail’s face. Then he saw Holly gesture to the machines that Steve was standing next to. Gail sleepily nodded and Holly rose from her chair, dug in her purse, and then made her way to the coffee vending machine.

"We still on for dinner tomorrow night?" Steve asked. 

"Yeah," Traci smiled.

"Great," Steve answered, watching Holly approach the machines he was standing next to, "I’ll call you later." He hung up and walked over to Gail.

He sat down in Holly’s spot and looked at Holly, “I like her.”

"Who?" Gail asked, shaking her head trying to wake up enough to have a conversation.

"Holly," Steve saw Holly glance back in their direction. When she caught Steve looking at her, she gestured to the machine and back to him. 

He smiled and nodded. Holly nodded and turned back to the machine.

"How do you know?" Gail asked, suspiciously.

Steve stood up, “Instinct.” He put his hands in his pockets as Holly neared, “And I had Nash run a background check.” Holly handed Steve his coffee then Gail. 

"Steve!" Gail scolded her brother.

Steve started backing away, “We should all double sometime.”

"You’re the last person I want to go on a double date with," Gail snarked.

He smiled at Holly, “Thanks for the coffee.”

"You’re welcome," Holly lowered herself into her chair and watched Steve walk away. She turned curiously to Gail, "What was that about?"

Gail blew on her coffee and shook her head, “He’s decided that he likes you.” Gail took a sip of her coffee, “But if we’re going to double with him and Traci, we’re going to a bar.”

Holly quirked an eyebrow, “So we’re dating now?”

Gail just nodded like it was common knowledge, “Didn’t you get the memo?” A grin broke out on her face and looked over at Holly who was beaming.

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I did this one myself.

“Thanks for coming to pick me up,” Gail said as she watched the dark city stroll by from the passenger’s seat of Holly’s car.

“No problem,” Holly grinned. She picked up her phone, “How could I not? Especially with all the entertaining texts I’ve been getting from you today.”

“Oh god,” Gail sighed, “What did I say?”

Holly stopped in front of 15 Division so that Gail could get her stuff out of the locker room. She picked up her phone and started reading off texts Gail sent her while she was in the hospital hopped up on oxycodone. “Do you ever think about asparagus? I think I might be a cat. You have pretty hair. I bet I can fit my fist into my mouth. I can’t.” Holly dropped her phone into her lap and grinned over at Gail, “I asked you if you were okay and you said you were stuck in the hospital with a freaky pink elephant.”

“Oh my god,” Gail dropped her head into her hands. “I’m so sorry.”

Holly touched Gail’s shoulder, “I’ll make you a deal. For every drink you buy me tonight, I’ll delete one text.” Holly grabbed her phone and opened her door. She took the keys out of her car and dropped them in Gail’s lap. “Except the one about my hair being pretty, because, obviously, it’s true.” Holly picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder, “I’ll be at The Penny.”

Gail turned around and watched Holly walk away. A slow grin grew on her face. She opened the door and yelled at Holly, “Deal!”


	18. Chapter 18

Dov cut off the engine to the car. He looked over at Gail, “What a day huh?” They wanted to get home so bad that neither one of them had changed out of their uniforms before coming home.

Gail nodded numbly. She just wanted to leave it behind her. She looked down at her phone. She wanted to make a phone call, but it was really late. She didn’t think that she should wake up her favorite forensic pathologist just because she wanted to see her.

Dov and Gail walked toward the front door of their building. Dov started to slow down while Gail was watching the sidewalk go by. She looked up when Dov stopped. She saw the person she wanted to call sitting on the front stoop of their apartment building. She was reading some kind of novel intently while she was sitting. Next to her were two cups white paper cups of coffee in a cardboard tray.

“What are you doing here?” Gail asked bluntly.

Holly’s eyes shot up from the book. She closed it and started fumbling to put it into her bag. “I – um, heard about the day you guys have had and I wanted to –uh – um – check on you.” She stood up and picked up the tray of coffee, “And bring you coffee.” She looked down at it, “They were hot an hour ago.”

Dov decided to leave the women at it. He patted Holly’s back as he walked past her into the building.

“How long have you been out here?” Gail asked, tilting her head to the side. She looked up at Holly who was standing on the first step.

Holly looked at her watch, “Two hours and thirteen minutes.” Holly looked at Gail who was evidently not going to feel the crushingly awkward silence that she felt so Holly continued, “I remember when I got here because-”

She didn’t get to finish. Gail had pushed up on her toes to kiss Holly. All of Holly’s rambling came to a screeching halt and she almost dropped the now cold coffee. She found it in herself to kiss Gail back, not wanting to miss every second that their lips touched.

When Gail pulled back, she took Holly’s face in her hands. “We have got to find a better way to shut you up.”

Holly looked away from Gail because her mind dove straight into the gutter. When she looked back at Gail, she saw something in Gail that she knew very few people got to see. She could see vulnerability. She could see the tumultuous emotions raging behind her icy eyes.

Holly moved her hand to Gail’s face, touching Gail’s cheek gently with her fingertips.

Gail felt how cold they were and knew that Holly had stayed outside in the cold to check on her. There were so few people in her life that she believed would do that sort of thing for her.

Gail took Holly’s hand and walked up the stairs pulling Holly inside. Holly didn’t question it. She just allowed Gail to lead her. They walked into the apartment, past Dov who was sitting at the table eating a sandwich. Gail took the coffee from Holly and threw it away without stopping her march to her bedroom.

When they got to her room, she pulled Holly inside. She closed the door and kicked off her shoes. Holly took a moment to look around the room. She admired a few pictures and ran her fingers over the footboard. She wasn’t sure what Gail wanted from her, but after the day she spent in the morgue fretting over what may happen to Gail while she was at work, Holly was open to anything Gail wanted from her.

Gail took off her belt and then her bulletproof vest. Holly turned to watch Gail start to unbutton her shirt. Holly looked reverently away. Gail noticed, but didn’t stop disrobing until she was in the tank top she always wore under her uniform and her underwear.

Gail moved to the bed, getting Holly’s attention. Holly watched Gail turn down the bed and slip into it. Then she looked expectantly up at Holly. Holly licked her lips, unsure of what to do. So she kicked off her shoes and took off her jacket before getting into the bed.

Gail easily pulled Holly to her and slipped her arms around the doctor. She just wanted to hold Holly. She wanted to know that Holly was safe and warm her up. She wanted Holly to stay with her for the night because she needed her there after the horrible, terrifying ordeal she had just gone through.

Gail closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel warm in Gail’s embrace. She reciprocated the hug and squirmed until she was on her back and Gail’s hair was on her chest. Holly held her around the shoulders and occasionally stroked Gail’s hair.

“Thanks for coming over,” Gail said out loud, even though she knew Holly didn’t need her to say anything.

Holly kissed the top of Gail’s head and rested her chin where her kiss lay, “I’m glad you’re okay.”


	19. Chapter 19

“Hey got away!” Gail yanked off her jacket and tossed it onto the bench in the locker room.

Holly stood against the wall next to the door. Her arms were crossed. She had come away from a meeting with homicide to find Gail tearing through the hallway and into the locker room, “There was nothing you could do.”

“I should have tased him when you first thought about it,” Gail put her foot up on the bench and started untying her boots. “He looked flightly. I should have told Dov to put him in the car. And his friend puked in the back of my squad car.”

Holly was trying to squash a smile. She just found Gail so damn cute when she was frustrated. She watched as Gail kicked off her boots and sat on the bench with a huff.

Holly uncrossed her arms, tucked her hands in her pockets, and took a leisurely step toward Gail, “Have you ever shot a .44 Desert Eagle?”

“What?” Gail looked up at Holly, baffled.

Holly just smiled, “Get dressed. We’re going to go somewhere.”

Gail continued to get dressed, sloppily throwing things into her locker and making a general ruckus. Gail grabbed her bag and followed Holly out.

Holly pulled to a stop outside of the morgue. She turned off her car and opened the door. Gail knew better than to ask at this point. She just left her bag in the car and followed Holly into the empty building. Holly used her keys and pass card to get into the front door and then through a series of white hallways.

“You know Holly if this is some weird sex thing-” Gail started, but stopped talking when Holly laughed.

Holly opened one last door and held it open for Gail, “Just go inside.”

Gail stepped into the room and flipped on the lights. The most dominant structure in the room was a massive water tank. It was covered completely with thick glass and had a small chute on one end. Holly flipped on the light to the machine that lit the water from the bottom, giving the room a blue glow.

Gail stared at the water for a moment, zoning out and thinking about how she could have tripped the perp that got away from her. The sound of a round being chambered yanked her out of her thoughts. She looked over at Holly who was checking the safety of a large pistol in her hand. Holly gestured Gail over to her. Gail took the gun and Holly outfitted her with safety glasses and ear protection.

Gail waited for Holly to put on her glasses and ear protection before aiming the gun into the tank. Holly walked to the door and flipped on the small red light over the door meaning that the ballistics suite was in use. She smiled and nodded to Gail.

Gail pointed the gun into the tank and pulled the trigger. Then again. Then again. She pulled the trigger in rapid succession until the slide locked back. Holly walked over to the tank, lifted a flap on the side and used a small net to dip out the bullets that Gail fired.

“Do you want to go again?” Holly asked, trying to catch a bullet that seemed intent on floating away.

Gail took the empty magazine out of the gun and placed it on the desk next to the empty gun. “I think I’m okay now.” She smiled, watching Holly dump out the bullets on the small tray next to the tank. “Thank you.”

Holly looked up from a curious examination of the bullets. She smiled up at Gail and shrugged, “No problem. Anytime, you know?”

Gail took off her safety glasses and folded them up, not able to shake the smile on her face, “Yeah, I know.”


	20. Prompt: your story of how gail and holly ended up in the cell.

“Whose got the squad car?” Holly asked, watching the storefronts slowly creep by.

Gail turned on her blinker, “Some rookie. He went on a coffee run for the detectives.” She turned the corner and spotted 1505 parked in front of a coffee shop. She stopped behind it.

“I got it,” Holly offered and opened the door. She got out of the car and walked toward the squad car. There wasn’t anyone in is so she looked in the passenger window.

“Hey! What are you doing?” the young officer stepped out of the coffee shop.

Holly turned around with a smile and gestured to the car, “I think I left my keys in the squad car.”

The young man smirked and shook his head, “Nice try.”

“Actually, I’m dating-” that was as far as Holly got before her left wrist was handcuffed.

“Hey!” Gail got out of her car, “What are you doing?!” She walked over to the young officer as he spun Holly around to cuff her hands behind her back. “She’s just looking for her keys. She was with me. I’m a cop.”

“Yeah right,” the officer told Gail, “Epstein warned me about people trying to steal my squad.” He put Holly in the back of the squad car. “Put your hands on the trunk of the car please.”

“Epstein is an idiot,” Gail stepped toward the back door to let Holly out. The officer caught her wrist and handcuffed her, pushing her hard again the car. “I’m a cop, dumb nuts. Gail Peck 8727.” She huffed as he pulled her hand behind her back. She knew if she resisted, he would probably tase her.

“Let’s make out in the squad car she says,” Holly slouched in her seat and looked out the window of the backseat of the squad car, “Nothing’s going to happen, she says.”

“You know what,” Gail looked over at Holly who had turned to look at her with an amused grin. Gail couldn’t help but smile back, “Your sarcasm is not appreciated and this never would have happened if you didn’t drop your keys.”

Holly sat up a little more. “Well we got out of going to that gala thing.”

“Thank god,” Gail scooted a little closer to Holly. “I don’t know how many more times I can listen to my mom drone on about protecting the city.”

In the Sally Port, Gail tried to talk to the officer one last time, “Have you never heard the name Peck? Detective Steve Peck, Inspector Bill Peck, Superintendent Elaine Peck? I’m Gail Peck.”

“You know, making up people isn’t going to help your case,” he got them both out of the back of the squad car and pushed them inside.

“You haven’t been to an actual crime scene yet, have you?” Holly asked, as she was walked into the holding cell.

Gail needed a little more persuasion to go into the holding cell. The officer pushed her in, uncuffed both of them, and closed the door.

“Names?” he asked picking up a booking clipboard.

“Gail Peck,” Gail kicked the bars of the holding cell, “Who’s the sergeant tonight?”

“Sergeant Shaw,” the man answered, “All complaints got to him.”

“Can I please talk to him?” Gail asked, “So I can get out of here.”

“Fine,” the officer told them, tossing the clipboard onto the desk. He muttered as he walked away, “My first arrest and they’re being difficult.”

“Oh my god,” Gail laid down on the bench in the cell and put her arm over her eyes, “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Holly sat down on the bench perpendicular to Gail and crossed her arms, “When we get to prison, do you want the top bunk or the bottom one?”

Gail smirked, “Are you going to be my prison wife?”

“Of course,” Holly shrugged, “One of us has to fight and I’m not a fighter.”

Oliver’s laugh proceeded him. When Gail and Holly looked out the cell door they saw him taking a picture of them in the cell. “Beautiful.” He put his phone away and turned to the rookie, “Did you get their names?”

The rookie picked up the clipboard and replied, “Gail Peck and…”

“Holly Stewart,” Holly stood up and walked to the cell bars. Gail slowly rose as well.

“Go ahead and run those names,” Olivier crossed his arms and smiled at the two women in the cell. “What did you arrest them for?”

“They were trying to break into my squad, sir,” the young man looked at the results on the computer. His face turned white as a ghost when he saw their pictures. “Sir?”

Oliver walked over to the computer and knew exactly what he was going to see. He pointed to the screen, “What does that say?”

“Senior Forensic Pathologist,” he swallowed.

“And that?” Oliver moved his finger over to the other side of the screen.

“Police Officer,” the rookie read off.

Oliver gestured to the cell, “Let them out.” The rookie quickly walked over to the cell and before he could put the key into the lock, Oliver called out, “Wait.” He picked up her phone and took another picture. Then he said, “And one for the rookie.” Gail and Holly both made faces and pointed to the rookie.

After he let them out, they walked over to Oliver. Gail looked over at the rookie who had chosen to keep his distance, “Please tell me I was never that stupid.”

“You were never that stupid,” Oliver patted her on the shoulder. He told the rookie, “Take them back to wherever you picked them up.”

“Um, sir, their car was…I had it impounded,” the rookie stuttered.

Oliver sighed. He rubbed his forehead, “You better see what you can do to have it brought here.” He gestured for Gail and Holly to follow him. “Sorry about that. Are you alright, Doctor?”

“No harm no foul,” Holly shrugged. “I’m going to go grab some tea. Do you two want anything?”

Gail asked for tea as well and Oliver for coffee. Gail looked back at booking where the rookie was on the phone, pleading to get her car back. Oliver followed her eyes and shook his head, “Your class of rookies was one in a million. I feel sorry for all the rookies you’re going to have to train.”

“Me training rookies?” Gail shook her head, “And deal with bumbling messes like that all day. No way. Please tell me we were never that bad.”

“You were never that bad,” Oliver smiled. “Diaz and Epstein on the other hand.”

Gail chuckled, “They’re still that bad sometimes.”

“What about your plans?” Oliver asked, sitting down on the edge of a desk, “McNally is a going to be a TO and Traci is a full-fledged detective now. What about you and your Peckspectations?”

“I’m going to…” Gail trailed off and spotted Holly walking toward her with their drinks. They shared a smile and before she got into earshot Gail told Oliver, “I think for right now, I’m just going to be happy.”


	21. Holly gets injured and Gail takes care of her

“You’re going to burn a hole through my face if you keep staring at me,” Holly muttered with her eyes closed.

Gail looked down at the bed under her and smoothed out the sheet. She was sitting on the bed at Holly’s feet and had just been gazing at Holly who she thought was asleep. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Holly slowly opened her eyes and rolled onto her back. All her motions were slow because she was in pain. “Just don’t look at me like I’m in ICU.”

“So don’t look at you like I did yesterday?” Gail crawled up the bed next to Holly, afraid to actually touch her. The lacerations and bruises down the right side of Holly’s face. It didn’t look as bad as it did yesterday, but it was still difficult to look at without her stomach feeling tight. “Excuse me, if I’m a little freaked that my girlfriend got hit by a truck.”

 “It was a small SUV,” Holly smiled lazily. She reached forward and took Gail’s hand. Gail watched the black material of the brace on Holly’s wrist move as Holly brought her fingers to her lips for a kiss. Then she gently placed Gail’s hand on her waist. “I won’t break if you touch me.”

Gail had tears in her eyes. Maybe she wouldn’t break anymore, but Holly was already so broken. When Andy called Gail about the accident at the crime scene…Gail feared the worst. It was the cop in her. She was always prepared for the worst, but somehow she wasn’t prepared for this.

“Just don’t do it again okay?” Gail gently stroked Holly’s side with the tips of her fingers.

“I’ll do my best,” Holly snuggled into her pillow.

Gail looked over Holly’s face, outlining the bruises with her eyes, “Do you need anything?”

Holly smiled lovingly at Gail, “I’m kind of cold.”

“I’ll get you another blanket,” Gail pushed on the bed to stand, but Holly’s hand grabbed her wrist.

Gail allowed Holly to pull her back down on the bed. Holly placed her hand on the side of Gail’s neck, “I wanted to cuddle.”

“Oh,” Gail let a smile grow on her face. She carefully scooted over to Holly, putting her arm around Holly’s waist. She tucked Holly’s head under her chin and took a deep breath. After they settled into each other, Gail stated, “I got really scared yesterday. You can’t die, okay?”

“Never ever?” Holly asked, kissing Gail’s collarbone that was an inch from her lips.

Gail kissed Holly’s forehead, “I just…I really love you.”

“I love you too,” Holly answered, closing her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Gail continued to watch her, softly stroking Holly’s hair, just trying to make sure that Holly was really okay. She needed her to be okay. Because she really loved Holly. 


	22. Gail and Holly watch Orphan Black

“Clones, Holly, really?” Gail took the beer out of Holly’s hand.

Holly smiled, “It’s a good show. Just give it a chance.”

** A few minutes later **

“I like the blonde one,” Gail leaned forward and narrowed her eyes, “She’s my favorite.”


	23. Gail & Holly's first kid

Gail’s arms were straight out in front of her, her flashlight leading the way. The house was dark with only a few creaks to break up the silence. This was when all her training came in handy. She took a deep breath and looked around the empty living room. The shadows cast along the couch from her flashlight made her think there was someone there for a second. She readjusted her grip on her flashlight and moved her gun up to join it.

She turned around and looked up the stairs. She paused and listened for any noise. Footsteps sounded and Gail started making her way up stairs. She scanned the area around the top of the stairs before taking the first step. Her heart started beating faster. She was getting closer and she knew it. The wooden landing made little noise as she reached the top. Gail moved along the wall down toward the bedrooms.

Suddenly a door flew open and a beeping filled the room.

Gail looked down at her vest that was flashing red. She dropped her gun and her flashlight. She smiled at the little girl grinning up at her. “You got me.”

“Let’s go find, Mommy,” the little girl raised her laser tag gun when Gail’s vest stopped flashing.

Gail grinned, “I think I know where she is.”

The pair walked down the hallway to the master bedroom, past all the furniture, and into the bathroom. Gail put her finger to her lips, then pointed to the closed shower curtain around the bathtub. The little girl nodded seriously, her green laser gun in front of her.

Gail moved to the edge of the shower curtain and counted on her fingers. When she got to three, she shoved the shower curtain to the side.

Holly’s vest lit up as she looked up from the book she was reading in the bathtub. Her cheek had been resting on her fist that was closed around the flashlight. She smiled up at the two that found her. “You got me.”

“You’re not very good at this game,” Gail turned off her gun and held her hand out for Holly. The little girl moved to the doorway and turned on the lights.

Holly took Gail’s hand and stepped out of the bathtub, “If you want me to be good at something, we can play virtual autopsy.”

“Gross,” the little girl made a face.

“Alright, bedtime kid,” Gail helped the girl out of her laser tag vest and took off her own.

The girl shook her wavy brown hair, “But Mom…”

Gail raised an eyebrow and the little girl turned around, pouting as she retreated down the hallway.

“She learned that pout from you,” Holly smiled and kissed Gail’s cheek before removing her vest.

Gail grinned, “Yeah well, she got the night owl thing from you.” Gail put her arms around Holly’s waist and pulled her in for a kiss. “I’ll go get her into bed and I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you,” Holly kissed Gail again and tucked some of Gail’s hair behind her ear. “Make sure to turn on her nightlight.”

“On it,” Gail smiled, stole one last kiss and walked off down the hallway to tuck her daughter in for the night.  


	24. an u write the scene of the suv hitting holly? maybe gail and everyone else's reaction?

“Hello, Dr. Stewart,” Andy smiled and opened the car door for Holly.

“Hey Andy,” Holly grabbed her bag and got out of her car, “I drove past this place once. No one told me there was a body dump in the median.”

Andy closed the door after Holly get out, “Not one body, but two.”

“Ooh,” Holly grinned, “My favorite.”

They walked over to the crime scene together and Andy held Holly’s bag while Holly looked around the bodies. Holly had slipped on some gloves and was looking in the neglected grass in the middle of the highway. She stuck a flag in the ground next to an empty beer can.

“Do you think that’s part of the crime scene?” Andy asked, “Fell out of the killer’s car maybe?”

“Maybe,” Holly shrugged, “It doesn’t matter either way. We have to take it in because it’s in the vicinity.” She walked around the body and then looked up at the highway. She looked at both sides of both victims. “Cool.”

“What’s cool?” Sam asked, knowing that Holly worked in her own world until she was ready to come out. He didn’t mind. She was one of the best pathologists he’d ever worked with.

“From this angle it looks like they were-”

“Look out!” Oliver yelled. He was the first one to spot the rogue SUV swerving toward them. He grabbed a crime scene tech, pulling her out of the way.

Sam tackled Andy to the ground just barely getting clipped by the car’s mirror.

“Holly!” Andy yelled, but knew it was too late. She watched as Holly was struck by the car, rolling onto the hood and falling off the side. “Holly!” Andy scrambled out from under Sam and slipped in the mud as she tried to get to Holly.

Sam was the first one on is radio, “I need a bus! Person struck by an SUV.”

The SUV had stopped a few meters in away and Oliver marched to the SUV, opening the driver’s side door. The driver’s head lulled toward him. “Wha-wass goin’ on?”

“He’s loaded!” Oliver called, yanking the man out of his car. “Collins, come put him in the squad.” Once he was handed over to Nick, Oliver walked over to the group of people gathered around Holly. She wasn’t moving, but Andy assured everyone that she was alive.

The ambulance came squealing to a stop. The medics pushed Andy out of their way and started getting Holly ready for transport.

“I gotta- I gotta call Gail,” Andy pulled out her phone, not even noticing how bloody her hands were.

“I can do it,” Sam put his hand on her back.

Andy shook her head, “I need to do it.” She put her phone to her ear as Holly was loaded into the ambulance. “Gail, there’s been an accident. Holly was – she was hit with an SUV.” Andy listened for a moment before nodded, “Um, hold on.” Andy asked the medic, “What hospital?” After she got her answer, she relayed it to Gail and got into the back of the ambulance.

Sam and Andy were standing outside of the emergency room when Gail came sprinting into the waiting room with Chris behind her. “Where is she?” Gail demanded. She turned to the nurse, “Holly Stewart, where is she?”

“She’s still in surgery,” Andy told her when the nurse looked bewildered. “She had a lot of internal bleeding.”

 “What happened?” Gail asked, just as demanding as before. She looked frantically around like Holly would come walking out of any door, any minute.

Andy put her hand on Gail’s arm, “There was a body dump in the median of the highway. A drunk driver swerved into the crime scene and hit her.” Andy looked down and swallowed. She felt guilty for not grabbing Holly. It was her job to protect people and she had failed.

“Where is he?” Gail asked, knowing that the driver was probably brought in as well.

Andy shook her head, “You can’t focus on him. Holly needs-”

Gail took off toward the entrance when she saw Nick walk behind a gurney. The man had obviously been in an accident, but was conscious. “Is that him?” she demanded of Nick, “Did he hit Holly?”

The worried look on Nick’s face was all Gail needed to see to know that the man on the gurney hit Holly. She lunged at him, Nick barely catching her before she landed on the gurney, “You son of the bitch!”

“Gail,” Andy ran over and helped Nick subdue Gail. They pulled her away as the EMTs took the man behind the swinging doors. “Gail, calm down.”

Gail yanked out of everyone’s grips. She growled, “Don’t touch me.” She walked over to the desk and asked softly, “Can I please get some kind of update?”

The nurse looked sympathetic and typed around in the computer. “She’s still in surgery. They’ll probably move her to ICU afterwards.”

“Thank you,” Gail nodded slowly and walked to the nearest chair. She sat down and dropped her head in her hands. She closed her eyes and prayed to all the gods she didn’t even believe in. She just wanted Holly to be okay. She  _needed_  Holly to be okay.


	25. Andy and Holly become best friends, much to Gail's horror, and she's forced to put up with McNally all the time

Dov was walking by when Gail caught him by the front of his bulletproof vest. “Hey, have you seen McNally?”

Dov pointed toword the parade room and continued walking, intent on being somewhere else and getting there in a timely fashion.

Gail hooked her thumbs in her gun belt as she walked to the parade room. She was surprised to find that, when she looked through the window, Andy wasn’t alone. Holly was sitting on the second row back and Andy was standing in front of her, leaning back on the table. Andy said something and Holly ducked her head laughing into her hands.

Gail quickly walked into the room, very confused. “What’s going on?”

“Hey Gail,” Andy smiled and gestured to Holly, “Dr. Stewart had a meeting with Swarek, but he’s running a little late so he asked me to entertain her until he gets here.”

Gail gaped at both of them, looking from one to another, “So you’re – you’re friends now?”

Holly smiled at Andy before turning to Gail, “Yeah, I guess I’d say so.”

Gail walked across the aisle to the other row of chairs and sat down, “Oh god. This is a nightmare.” Gail looked at Holly, “Holly, she’s like my archnemesis. I am Batman and she’s the Joker.”

Andy wasn’t sure if she was offended or not so she chose to be quiet. 

“We’re just talking Gail,” Holly stood up and walked to the other side of the aisle. She sat backwards in a chair in front of Gail. Holly looked Gail over and licked her lips. Holly turned to look over her shoulder, “Can you give us a minute Andy?”

Andy picked up Holly’s empty cup, “I’ll go get you a refill.”

As soon as Andy walked out, Holly took Gail’s hand. She quietly as in front of Gail, until Gail sighed, “I mean,” Gail sighed again, “What Andy did was messed up.”

“I understand,” Holly nodded, turning Gail’s hand over in her own and tracing the lines on her palm.

“But…” Gail scrunched her mouth to one side, “But I got you out of it right? So I win.”

Holly grinned, meeting Gail’s eyes, “You definitely won.”

Gail leaned over the table and kissed Holly, “I so won.”

“Does that mean I can be friends with Andy?” Holly quirked an eyebrow.

Through the window Holly saw Swarek gesture to her that he was ready for her. She stood up and Gail stood as well, checking behind her. She saw Andy walking toward the room with coffee and sighed.

Gail took a deep breath, “Yeah. I guess.”

Holly let out a wide smile, “Good because we made plans to go rock climbing next weekend in North Bay.” She kissed Gail and walked to the door, “See you after shift.”

Holly walked out the door, accepted her coffee from Andy, then followed Swarek into his office.

Gail just stood in the parade room, gaping at her through the window.


	26. Marathon

_**Gail’s Marathon** _

Holly sat down on the couch, “I still think I should read the books first.”

“You’re such a nerd,” Gail picked up her bag of cheese puffs and set them in her lap. She made sure that she could reach her drink without moving and grabbed the remote.

“Do you really think we can watch all forty episodes of this in one weekend?” Holly asked, leaning on the side of the couch. “I mean, that only leaves eight hours for sleeping, eating, and bathroom breaks.”

“We’ll order in,” Gail stated, popping a cheese puff into her mouth and looking over at Holly, “C’mon it’s my favorite show. There’s blood and guts and power hungry sociopaths who make more blood and guts. It’s all of my favorite things.”

Holly smiled, not quite sure how she found someone so…unique to fall in love with, but she was glad that she did. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Gail’s face wanted to smile more than she wanted to allow so she looked at the TV and pressed play. The opening credits started and Holly looked toward the screen.

It wasn’t two minutes later that Gail put the cheese puffs down and pulled Holly toward her. She found that cuddling with Holly was a lot nicer than cuddling with the cheese puffs. She leaned on the arm of the couch with Holly sitting between her legs and laying against her chest. She loved everything about this. She loved that Holly was willing to completely waste an entire weekend with her watching her favorite show. She’d never met someone so willing to do something like that for her.

Gail kissed the top of Holly’s head and rested her cheek where her kiss lay, settling in for a long weekend on the couch.

_**Holly’s Marathon** _

Gail sat on the bench in the park with Holly’s windbreaker on. She didn’t look up from her handheld video game to pick up her coffee. After a sip, she set it down on the bench next to her and picked up her half-eaten croissant. After chomping off one end of it, she placed it back into the paper bag.

When Gail did glance up, she found that it was still drizzling slightly. She readjusted her hood and looked through the light fog on the path that stretched out to the bay. She spotted Holly in her blue tank top and black shorts running toward her. The earbuds in her ears were probably playing something to help her keep her pace. Her ponytail swished from side to side behind her.

Gail paused her game as Holly neared. Gail watched Holly pull an earbud out and slow to a walk in front of her. Gail looked on the bench next to her and paused the time on her phone, “Twenty-seven, forty-two.”

“Yikes,” Holly put her hands on her hips and walked in a circle in front of Gail before propping her foot up on the bench to stretch. “That is terrible.”

“Oh yeah,” Gail quipped sarcastically, “You’re in terrible shape.”

Holly smiled and dipped down to kiss Gail. “One more lap and then we can go home.”

“I don’t know why you’re training for a marathon there,” Gail took another bite of her croissant and started another match on her video game. “We could totally be training for it at home.”

“I don’t think having marathon sex counts as training for a marathon,” Holly smiled, “But after we get home, I’ll take a shower and we can try.” She put her earbud back in and took off running.

Gail smiled at her game and paused it after Holly had already run off. She watched Holly running away, thoroughly enjoying the view. 


	27. Holly and Gail going to Perik's trial and Gail having to listen to Holly's record of the events and evidence

Gail sat in the back row of the courthouse. She was dressed in her courtroom attire, a stupid skirt and blouse that itched. Her testimony had been the day before and the prosecutor told her that she didn’t have to come. The next day was going to be all technical things like evidence and procedures.

But she came anyway, sitting in the back row. Gail looked down at her nails and ran her finger over the smooth surface of one of them, thinking about how Jerry had died almost two years ago. It seemed so long ago, but still managed to keep Gail up a few nights a month.

The courtroom was packed. There were reporters and journalists all over the place. A few people were family members of the victims. Traci was sitting next to Gail, but so far she hadn’t said anything. Steve offered to come, but 15 couldn’t be down two detectives at the same time.

When the prosecutor called the next expert witness to the stand, Gail looked across the room and somehow met Holly’s eyes through the sea of people as she sat down in the witness box.

Sam told Gail that Holly was getting flustered when asked questions about the condition of the basement because now she knew who had been held down there. They worked most of it out, but when Gail went home, Holly was sitting on her stoop. She didn’t say anything and neither did Gail as they walked inside together. Holly held Gail for the rest of the night, just seeming to need to know that Gail was okay.

Gail hoped she was helping by being there. She hoped that if Holly could see her, she would know that everything was okay.

The prosecutor asked a few standard questions. He asked about Holly’s qualifications and where she went to school. Then he started asking about the crime scene. Pictures of the crime scene flashed up on a monitor that, because of the gruesomeness of the crime, only the jury could see. Gail was glad that she couldn’t see it. She looked over at Traci who seemed relieved as well.

However, Gail knew Holly could see it. She could see Holly tense up when a certain picture was displayed, but she did her best to describe what happened. Usually it was easier for her to explain things, but the prosecutor had asked Holly to refer to Gail by name when talking about the basement laboratory.

Saying “Officer Peck” over and over again was starting to make the words sound wrong. It tasted weird in her mouth. Holly had seen various reconstructions of the crime scene and a few animations that didn’t come close to the vivid detail of her imagination. She could see Gail, beaten and tied to the table. She could see every detail of it like she was there. She had spent at least a month going over her testimony and going over the physical evidence to make sure that Perik was locked away forever, but in doing so she learned so much about the case, she could probably move around the basement in the dark and not bump into anything.

Gail heard Holly’s voice quiver only once. Holly was describing how the knife entered Jerry and how Perik expertly caused irreparable damage. She explained how it would have taken hours upon hours of surgery and even if Perik had stabbed Jerry on an operating table, it was doubtful he would have survived.

Gail looked at Traci who was holding it together. Holly had warned her. She told Traci that it was going to be graphic, but Traci took Holly into an interview room and asked Holly to go over it with her so there was no surprises. Holly respectfully did so, but appeared at Gail’s apartment that night as well.

After the testimony, Gail walked out and stood at the railing on the second floor overlooking the rotunda where they had met the day before after Gail had finished testifying.

Holly was walking slowly, her feet scraping the white tiles as she moved to Gail. Gail stood in place as Holly walked up to her and stopped. Holly didn’t look up quite yet. She was still trying to shake the picture she drew for the jury – the picture of Gail tied up and struggling in the restraints in the basement. She closed her eyes, but that only made it worse.

“C’mon,” Gail took Holly’s hand, knowing that Holly may need some time. The day before Gail wouldn’t speak for hours while Holly held her on the couch in her apartment. Gail was prepared to do the same thing for Holly.

They walked out to Holly’s car and Gail drove them back to Holly’s apartment. Once inside, Holly walked to the window and stood there for a moment, looking out over the sunny day on the other side of the glass. Gail started some tea and changed before sitting on the couch.

Holly finally turned around. “Move in with me.”

“What?” Gail was caught completely off guard.

Holly walked over to the couch and sat down, “Your job is dangerous. People get hurt and people die doing your job.” Holly’s eyes teared up. “I don’t want to waste a second of our time together. I want to hear your key in the lock every night and know that you’re safe. You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met and I love you, Gail.” Holly licked her lips slowly. “You don’t have to answer right now. It’s been an emotional day. I just-”

“Yes,” Gail interrupted her. She kissed a still stunned Holly. She took her time with the kiss, letting Holly sink into it before deepening the kiss. It was a big moment for them. She was going to revel in it because today reminded both of them that they never really knew how many more moments they were going to have together. 


	28. Gail and Holly dealing with there 5 childeren

“They don’t even fit in the stupid little car,” Gail took a drink of her beer and set it down on the wooden picnic table. It was dark around the small band of officers and their favorite forensic pathologist. They were all on the porch of Oliver’s cabin, drinking and having a good time.

Gail, Dov, Chris, Oliver, and Chloe were locked into a cutthroat game of Life. Chloe looked over the board, “How did you get five kids, Gail? I think it’s physically impossible to land on that many have a kid spaces.”

“I don’t know,” Gail rolled her eyes. She tried to balance five little pink and blue children in the back of her tiny little car piloted by two pink pegs. “I think Dov is cheating.”

“Why would I cheat?” Dov asked. “I’m a doctor. I’m kicking your ass.” He waved his paper money at her.

Gail went to swat it away and he pulled it back. Gail sat back with a scowl.

Holly walked up behind Gail to check and see how she was faring. She smiled when she saw the tiny pile of child pegs falling out of the little car. She reached over Gail’s shoulder and rearranged them so that they would all balance and then walked back down the stairs to the campfire that Andy started near the bottom of the stairs.

Chloe smiled widely and looked at Gail. Gail glared at her, trying to make her stop smiling or at the very least keep her from saying something.

“So Gail, any little pegs for you and Holly anytime soon?” Chloe asked despite Gail’s glare.

Gail groaned. The threw her money on the table and walked off, “Oh no, I got into a car accident. My whole family is dead.” She walked off, taking her beer with her. She grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the stash inside the house and then made her way to the campfire.

She stood next to Holly who was sitting on a camping chair. Gail unscrewed the top of the whiskey and took a healthy swig before handing it to Holly. Holly did the same. As she swallowed the burning liquid, Gail sat down in her lap. She put her arms around Holly’s neck and kissed her deeply.

Holly didn’t ask why. She’d learned that that were rarely any explanation to Gail’s affections. Gail leaned back against Holly, the back of her head resting on Holly’s shoulder. They sat like that watching the fire crackle for a little before Gail mumbled, “We need a bigger car.”


	29. gail and holly playing paintball with gail's friends

Andy looked over her shoulder at Nick who was hiding behind a bunker made up of two wooden crates stacked on top of each other, “We got the whole team right? I can just walk out there?” She was leaned back against an old beat up car. She could see the target. She just wasn’t sure if someone was waiting for her to go for it before tagging her.

Nick went over who he and Andy took out in his head. “Did you get Holly?”

Andy shook her head, “I knew I forgot someone.” She looked over at the target, “Where’s the rest of our team?”

“Dov and Steve got hit,” Nick checked inside the hopper of his gun, “I don’t know where Gail is. I bet she’s sitting against a tree, drinking out of the flask.”

Upon mentioning of that, Andy stood up straight and looked around. No one popped up to shoot her. Andy looked back at Nick, “C’mon.”

Nick cautiously stood up, but when no one was shooting at him, he followed Andy. She walked slowly and silently around the course until they came upon a tree. Andy put her finger to her lips and slowly stepped around the tree. Andy put her hands on her hips and sighed heavily, “Gail.”

Gail reluctantly pulled her lips away from Holly’s and looked up with a Cheshire grin. Holly was sitting with her back against the tree and Gail was sitting perpendicular to her with one leg tucked under herself and the other steepled over Holly’s outstretched legs. “Yes, McNally?”

“We’re playing paintball,” Andy tried to stay mad, but couldn’t at the grins on both Holly and Gail’s faces. “We’re not playing suck face behind a tree.”

“I was interrogating her for intelligence,” Gail picked up her gun and shot at Andy’s feet. “Get out of here. I almost know how we can win.”

“Holly is the only one left on the other team,” Nick wiped the spatter from the paint Gail just shot off of his boot onto the dirt.

Gail stood up, “Well I guess I’m going to take a member of your team hostage.” She offered her hand to Holly. Holly took it and allowed Gail to pull her to her feet. She took Holly’s hand and pulled her past Andy and Nick.

“Sorry,” Holly grinned, not really sorry at all. She stopped in front of Andy and Nick. She clapped her hands on her shoulders and then grinned maniacally when she pulled her hands back, revealing bright orange paint splatter. Nick and Andy just gaped at her.

“You tricked us,” Andy pointed at Holly then turned her accusatory finger toward Gail, “And you’re a traitor.”

“I can’t help it,” Gail pulled off her armband that matched Andy and Nick’s. She tossed it at them, “The other team was very persuasive.” She grabbed Holly’s hand and they ran off.

When Nick and Andy got to the dead box, the rest of the group was looking toward the parking lot, confused. “Gail and Holly just ran off with the giraffe-camel thing,” Chris pointed to the parking lot. “They just got in the car and left. What happened?”

“They were making out behind a tree and then Holly ambushed us,” Andy pointed to the paint splotch on her shoulder. Andy kicked at the dirt. “And they took the target.”

“We win!” Sam put his hands up in the air, “And since the target is gone, we can’t play anymore. To the Penny.”

He put his arm around Andy who was still grumbling about being ambushed. He just chuckled and led her to the parking lot, leading the way to the Penny.


	30. Gail and Holly's wedding day

Gail had her arm around Holly as they walked through the casino. Holly had a drink in her hand as she looked around, “Blackjack?”

Gail shook her head, “I swore off blackjack remember?”

“Oh yeah,” Holly put the straw of her drink in the side of her mouth, “But to be fair, I’m pretty sure the blackjack dealer wasn’t hitting on me.” Holly took a sip and then used her drink hand to point, “I think that slot machine is calling me. C’mon.”

Gail looked to where Holly was pointing and turned to steer them in that direction. Gail rolled her eyes when Holly sat down and inserted money. “You would pick the one slot machine here with a microscope on it, nerd.”

Holly just grinned at her and pressed the button.

“I’m going to go pee and get another drink,” Gail leaned on the chair and kissed the side of Holly’s head, “You want?”

“Please,” Holly pressed the spin button again.

Gail wandered around looking for the bathroom. She wished they were more clearly marked. It was a casino full of drunk people who would probably pee in a plant if they didn’t find the restroom quickly. She finally made her way toward the front of the casino, knowing that she saw one there.

She spotted it near the front door of the casino. It was brighter outside than she thought. She took her phone out as she walked toward the restroom and found that it was early in the afternoon. She had drunk way more and stayed up way later than she thought.

As she looked up, she barely missed being plowed over by a woman in jean shorts and fur lined boots, wearing a short, cheap veil that was attached to a plastic white headband. She laughed and apologized before running off. Gail just shook her head and went into the nearest open stall.

Holly was leaned back in her chair sipping the remaining alcohol from her glass. She couldn’t actually remember when she started drinking or how many she had. She was pretty tipsy, but in the happy way. She looked down at the ice when she saw a body near her. She jumped and then smiled, “You scared me.” She looked Gail over and was disappointed when she didn’t see her drink. “You forgot my drink.”

“I have a better idea,” Gail grinned. She pulled a white plastic headband with a short veil attached to it out of her back pocket and presented it to Holly, “Let’s get married.”

“Let’s what?” Holly was blindsided and it took her a minute to process. “Are you serious?”

“So serious,” Gail nodded and smiled hopefully.

Holly smiled and slid off of her chair into a kiss. “Let’s do it.”


	31. gail and holly go to holly's high school reunion

“Why did we come here again?” Holly asked leaning on the tall table inside the ballroom of a hotel. She looked up at the colored balloons that matched the tablecloths that matched the invitations that matched the name stickers.

Gail set her clutch down on the table, “The invitation said open bar.” Gail looked around, “And I since I know zero things about your past, I have come to do some detective work.”

“Orphan, foster care,” Holly stated and looked around, praying that no one she knew showed up. “You already knew two things that basically sum up my adolescence.”

“I also know that you were arrested for vandalism, but the charges were dropped because you were actually going to the library at two in the morning, nerd,” Gail looked at Holly with a sly grin.

Holly narrowed her eyes with a smile, “You ran a background check on me?”

“Of course not,” Gail picked up two glasses of champagne off of a passing tray. She handed one to Holly, “Steve did. The worst thing he dug up was that you actually have season tickets to the  _opera._ ”

Holly took a sip of champagne, “Those were a gift. I only went once…twice.”

Gail looked around at all the people, “Were you the hottest person at your high school or what?”

Holly nearly choked on her champagne, “Are you kidding me? I’d be surprised if anyone here remembers me.”

Gail turned around and leaned back on the table with her elbows. She scanned the crowd and caught someone looking their direction. “Are you sure? Because Jessica Rabbit over there is checking you out.”

Holly turned her head to look over her shoulder. She found who Gail was talking about. A tall redhead in a deep purple cocktail dress was looking their direction. The woman looked away when Holly looked at her. Holly breathed, “No way.”

“One of your exes?” Gail asked, looking at Holly.

Holly leaned forward on the table, “Not really. Her name is Kelly. We made out one time in the library. I was tutoring her and I went to go get a book from the stacks and she walked up behind me and…kissed me.” Holly shook her head, “Then she never really spoke to me again.”

“She was a cheerleader wasn’t she?” Gail followed Holly’s lead and turned back toward their table.

Holly bit her lip and nodded. She glance behind them and saw that Kelly had disappeared. “Let’s go see how open the bar is.”

Gail put her arm around Holly’s waist as they walked to the bar. Holly got them both a bourbon. They moved to a darker corner of the room and found an empty table to sit at.

“This is surreal,” Holly looked around, her cheek squished against her fist.

Gail looked at Holly and smiled lazily, just admiring the way that Holly’s hair fell to one side when she tilted her head like that, “What do you mean?”

“Sometimes high school feels like yesterday and sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago,” Holly finished off her second bourbon. “Do you think you’ve arrested any of these people?”

Gail chuckled, “Probably.”

“Um, excuse me, Holly?” a soft voice came from behind them.

Holly slowly turned around and was met by a nervous looking Kelly standing behind her. Holly was momentarily at a loss for words, “I, um, hey Kelly.”

Kelly seemed relieved, “You remember me.”

“Of course,” Holly gestured to the table she and Gail were sitting at. Kelly took her glass of champagne and sat down. “It’s been a while.”

Gail cleared her throat and Holly immediately introduced her, “Kelly, this is my girlfriend, Gail. Gail this is Kelly. We obviously went to high school together.”

“Smooth,” Gail whispered to Holly before shaking Kelly’s hand, “It’s nice to meet you.”

An enchanted smile crossed Kelly’s face, “How long have you two been together?”

Holly and Gail looked at each other. Gail grasped for some kind of date, “Um, I don’t know. A year or so?”

“That sounds about right,” Holly shrugged, “I mean, Chloe had her I-got-shot-a-year-ago party last week.”

“I’m sorry,” Kelly leaned forward trying to get a better understanding of what was going on, “Your friend got shot? And had a party?”

“Chloe’s weird,” Gail stated, like that explained everything.

“Gail is a police officer,” Holly elaborated.

Kelly’s eyes widened, “Oh my gosh, I saw on the news what happened last year. That was scary.”

Holly and Gail both nodded. Then Gail asked Kelly, “What have you been up to since graduation?”

Kelly looked down at her champagne glass. “I got married and then divorced. I’m a project manager for a software firm.” Kelly shrugged. Kelly met Holly’s eyes  “Oh and I just came out. So there’s that.”

“Congratulations,” Holly was suddenly feeling like Kelly making out with her in the back of the library was starting to make sense.

Gail saw something that Holly didn’t though. She saw the slight downward turn of Kelly’s mouth, “It didn’t go well?”

Kelly shook her head, “My family is very…they’re very concerned about perceptions. It was bad when I got a divorce. Now they know I’m gay…”

Gail took a deep breath. She feared that her family would be like that. Steve’s nonchalance and her parents’ momentary stunned faces before asking what Holly did for a living didn’t see so bad right then. “I’m sorry.”

Kelly shrugged, “I feel better though. Like freer.” Kelly shook her head as if shaking away the bad thoughts. Then she asked, “What do you two do?”

Gail smiled, wide-eyed, “Holly cuts up dead people.”


	32. Holly finally beats Gail at a video game

Holly’s fingers skillfully moved over the buttons while Gail decided to employ a mash all the buttons method. It only took a few seconds for Holly to thrust up her arms in victory as the arcade game announced “Kitana Wins.”

“Whatever,” Gail rolled her eyes.

“I finally beat you at a video game,” Holly grinned and poked Gail’s side, “You know what that means.”

“It means that you spent more time in dinky arcades as a kid,” Gail stuck the straw of her drink into her mouth and took a long sip.

Holly smirked and pulled Gail back to the table where their friends were waiting. “We made a bet.”

“Are you seriously going to make me stick to that?” Gail huffed and sat down in the seat.

“Oh yes,” Holly nodded with an elated grin.

Gail set her drink down and rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, “Guys?” Once everyone was looking at her, Gail said in a monotone voice, “Holly is awesome. She’s the greatest video game player of all time.”

“And?” Holly prompted.

“And I’m picking up the tab tonight,” Gail rested her cheek on her hand.

The rest of the group cheered and started ordering more rounds.

Holly moved closer to Gail and whispered in her ear, “And?”

Gail quirked an eyebrow and looked at Holly, “I have to do whatever you want.”

A wicked grin crossed Holly’s face. She got closer to Gail and whispered so that her lips brushed against Gail’s ear, “You know that that means?”

Gail tried to squash a smile because she was pretty sure she was going to like where this was going.

Holly kissed Gail’s cheek and uttered one word, “Karaoke.”


	33. Holly/Gail and friends at hogwarts

“What is it?” Gail asked, trying to get the taste out of her mouth. “It’s disgusting.” She looked into the souvenir stein that she got. “There’s no alcohol in here.”

“It’s Butterbeer,” Dov tapped the park map on his palm. “It’s for children.”

“Here kid,” Gail handed her butterbeer to a little boy that was running past. He looked at it, but kept running, trying not to spill it.

“You never read any of the Harry Potter books?” Dov asked, taking a bag of sweets from his pocket.

Gail shook her head, strolling past a band of giggling high schoolers taking pictures of themselves in front of Honeydukes. “I read a lot of mystery novels. I didn’t want to be a nerd.”

“And now you’re dating a nerd,” Dov gestured to Holly and Chloe who were ducking into a shop in front of them.

Gail nodded, not able to argue with that, “But so are you.”

“You know, we’re awesome,” Dov gestured in front of him, “Planning a completely surprise trip to Wizard World for our girlfriends.”

“Yeah you’re whipped,” Gail teased Dov.

Dov bumped shoulders with Gail, “Hey, you’re the one that wanted to tell them after a movie marathon at Holly’s place.”

Gail couldn’t argue with that. She was very whipped. She just didn’t want people to know. Holly and Chloe walked back toward Gail and Dov with their arms loaded down. “Can you guys take these?” Chloe asked, already handing her stuff off to Dov. She reached into one of the bags and pulled out a wand, “We have to get in line to get our wands engraved.”

Gail took the bags from Holly, not complaining because the look on Holly’s face made her happy. Holly was just glowing and Gail couldn’t call her out on her nerd showing. Gail looked in the bag, “Wizarding Chess?”

Holly grinned, “I couldn’t help it.” She kissed Gail and took her wand out of the bag.

“How about we take these to the concierge and have them sent back to our room? Then Dov and I will meet you two at the roller coaster thing,” Gail gestured vaguely at the other end of the park.

“That sounds amazing,” Chloe smiled and hugged Dov, “This is the best present ever.”

After Chloe and Holly ran off to get in line, Gail and Dov walked to the concierge building. As they were waiting for the teen behind the desk to write down all the stuff in the bags and their rooms, Dov commented, “Where’s Holly going to put all that stuff? Her place is so nice.”

“She has an office upstairs. It’s like her nerd cave,” Gail explained and took the recipe from the guy.

When they met up with Chloe and Holly they were standing in front of the roller coaster entrance. Chloe was the first to notice them and elbowed Holly to get her attention. Chloe looked more excited than she was when they got up that morning.

“What’s going on?” Dov looked at her with a smile. He was happy that his girlfriend was excited. He just wanted to know why.

Holly stepped up to Gail and presented her with the wand. “I got this for you.”

Gail was a little surprised. She hadn’t really gotten into the whole Harry Potter trip. She was having fun because Holly was elated. She took it and kissed Holly, “Thanks. I can use it as a backup baton.”

“It says something,” Chloe blurted out.

Gail’s eyes flickered from Chloe to Holly who looked a little nervous. Gail immediately looked down at the wand and spun it until she saw the elegant gold letters scrawled across the dark wood.  _Move in with me._

It only took a moment for the words to sink in. A smile spread across Gail’s face and she threw her arms around Holly. “Yes. Please. Thank you.”

Holly held Gail with a massive grin on her face. She was glad that Gail said yes.

A shutter sounded and Chloe stood up straight, showing Dov, “Look I got them hugging in front of Hogwarts.” She kissed Dov properly. “This is the best vacation ever.”

Dov took Chloe’s phone and pointed it at them. Chloe kissed his cheek with Hogwarts in the background. After the shutter sound sounded, Chloe looked over at Gail and Holly who were holding hands and waiting for them to take their picture so they could go.

Chloe grinned at the group and covered her mouth with a giggle. She took Dov’s hand. “I’m about to make a bad pun.”

“Just let it out,” Gail looped her arm around Holly’s shoulders without letting go of Holly’s hand, “We all know you’ll explode if you don’t.”

Chloe held Dov’s hand with both of hers, “This vacation is magical.”


	34. Holly is watching a hockey game on TV and Gail is annoyed because Holly's not paying any attention to her

Gail watched Holly from the kitchen. She had been loudly pretending to do the dishes for at least ten minutes. Holly hadn’t looked away from the tv one time. Gail narrowed her eyes and muttered, “Hockey’s stupid.”

Gail finally called, “Holly, where’s the dish soap?”

“Um,” Holly’s eyes didn’t budge from the screen, “You know what? I’ll do the dishes when the game’s over.”

Gail closed all the cabinets and leaned on the counter. Gail decided to clean the living room. She walked between Holly and the TV at least six times and she could tell she was just frustrating Holly. Gail could tell she was trying not to say anything.

Gail stood directly in front of the TV. “Hey do you want a beer or something?”

Holly ripped her eyes away from the game and looked up at Gail. She adjusted her glasses, “Yeah sure. Thanks.”

Gail was not happy with that answer. She sat down next to Holly, “Good, I’ll take a Guinness.”

Holly was a little confused, but slowly stood up, waiting for the last seconds of the first period to tick down before going to the kitchen. “Are you hungry?”

Gail looked at the TV and picked up the remote, “Yeah.”

“Nachos?” Holly asked, thinking that could be something she could make really quickly.

“Yeah,” Gail used the remote to change the channel.

It took a few minutes to get the nachos in the oven and Holly walked into the living room with two bottles of beer. “I was watching that.”

“Oh sorry,” Gail purposely changed the channel to a different sports channel playing the 1966 World Cup final.

Holly sat down next to Gail, “It’s up two.”

Gail begrudgingly changed the channel back to where it was just as the second period started. Gail sighed and put her head on Holly’s shoulder.

Holly put her arm around Gail and turned back to the hockey game. Gail got the nachos out of the oven and brought them to the coffee table. She tried to quell the jealousy inside of her because she knew it was irrational. In forty-five minutes, Holly would be all hers again, but Gail was the youngest child and was never good at sharing.

After Gail took the empty nacho plate to the sink and narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out how to get Holly’s attention. Gail went upstairs and turned on the tv upstairs. It was something obviously important to Gail so she was going to record the rest of the game for Holly before she made her look away.

Holly was about to take her empty beer bottle to the recycling when Gail stepped in front of the TV. This time Gail wasn’t wearing a single stitch of clothing. Holly dropped the TV remote out of pure shock. She sputtered, “I, Gail, wha- what? You’re naked.”

Gail took Holly’s hand and pulled her up off of the couch. Holly was the first one up the stairs, like a completely enchanted puppy. Gail managed to leave a trail of Holly’s clothes from the top of the stairs to the bedroom door.

Gail looked down at Holly who was pressed into the bed. She broke a long, languid kiss to tell Holly, “You’re going to miss the rest of the game.”

“What game?” Holly smiled and pulled Gail back down into a kiss. 


	35. Jealous Gail

Duncan looked around the Penny and spotted the person who he came in to see. She smiled at the bartender and pointed to something on the shelf behind him. Duncan smiled to himself and psyched himself up a little bit. Then he decided to see if he could get some information on his target.

He spotted some of the officers from 15 sitting at a table, talking. Duncan walked over to them a slid into the only empty table left at the table, “Hey guys,” he leaned on the table and kept an eye toward the bar.

“Hey man,” Chris clapped Duncan’s shoulder, “I thought you had a date.”

Duncan smiled, “Well I do. I mean, I will.” He looked around the table and found the friendliest looking one. He decided to focus on Chloe, “What do you guys know about the forensic pathologist?”

Jaws dropped around the table followed by Chris trying to cover up his smiled and Andy doing a terrible job of keeping a straight face. Chloe hid her face behind Dov’s shoulder.

Gail leaned on the table and lowered her voice, “The forensic pathologist? At the bar? With the glasses?”

Duncan nodded and his smiled grew wider, “I met her at that pawn store homicide and the one yesterday, in the office building. She smiled at me and was really nice. She doesn’t have a ring or anything. I looked.”

Gail put her hands around her empty glass and tilted her head, “And what exactly did she say to you?” She looked over the unsuspecting boy.

Duncan ran his teeth over his bottom lip. “She asked me to hold the door. I mean it doesn’t sound like much, but…I could tell she was, you know, vibing on me.”

Gail looked over her shoulder and saw that Holly was walking away from the bar with two drinks in her hand. She turned back to Duncan, “She’s pretty hot huh?”

Duncan eagerly nodded.

“And she’s smart right? I mean she got through medical school,” Gail tapped her finger on the table. “I bet she’s funny too.”

Duncan’s eyes grew with every statement. His eyes flickered up behind Gail and he sat back in his chair completely speechless.

Gail turned around. “Hey Holly. This is Duncan.”

“Hey,” Holly set one of the drinks she’s was carrying in front of Gail. She smiled at him, “I’ve seen you around.”

“Yeah, we, uh – you- at the,” he stuttered and leaned back in his chair so far he would have fallen backwards, had Chris not caught the back of the chair.

Holly looked down at Gail and put her hand on Gail’s shoulder, “I’ll go grab another chair.” She plucked one away from an empty table and sat it down next to Gail’s.

“You okay there Rookie?” Andy asked Duncan who still seemed to be struggling for something to say.

“Yeah, yeah,” He finally snapped out of his trance. “Uh, Holly,” he ran a hand over his hair, “What’s it like working with ….de-dead people?”

Holly quirked an eyebrow, but answered with a smile, “Quiet.”

Duncan laughed loudly and then quieted down after realizing how loud he laughed, causing Chris to have to excuse himself from the table to go laugh in the corner.

“Gail,” Andy pleaded with her fellow officer to just put Duncan out of his misery.

Chloe decided to push things along. She looked over at Gail and Holly, “What are you guys wearing to Oliver and Celery’s wedding?”

That earned a simultaneous groan from the pair. Holly shrugged, “I don’t know.”

“We can go shopping for something tomorrow,” Gail looked over at Holly, “You have the afternoon off right?”

Holly looked over at Gail, “I have a better idea.” She moved closer to Gail and put a stray hair on Gail’s head back in place. “How about I buy a bottle of Jameson on the way home, pick up the new Call of Duty and we can play free for all shots?”

“What’s free for all shots?” Dov asked, leaning forward on the table, “And how come you’ve never invited us to play.”

“Every time you die, you take a shot,” Holly explained.

Gail put her arm around Holly, “And we don’t invite you because after a few round of being annihilated, Holly starts taking off her clothes saying that every piece she takes off counts as a shot.”

“Strip video games,” Chloe grinned and looked at Dov, “We should try that some time.”

“Hold up,” Duncan finally caught up to the conversation and gestured between Gail and Holly. “Are you two together?”

Holly looked surprised. “Gail didn’t tell you?” Holly looked to her girlfriend for answers.

Gail shrugged, “The Rookie thinks you’re hot.” She took a drink and smirked, “He’s not wrong.”

Holly rolled her eyes. She looked over at Duncan who seemed mortified. Holly smiled apologetically, “I’m sorry. I’m a lesbian.”

“Who is dating the greatest police office of all time,” Gail stated.

Andy fake gasped, “Holly, why didn’t you tell me we were dating?”

“You wish, McNally,” Gail finished off her drink and stood up. She looked down at Holly, “I’m going to go get another. You want?”

Holly nodded with a smile. “Please.”

Gail dipped down and kissed Holly before making her way over to the bar.

“I’m uh, I’m gonna go,” Duncan stood up.

Andy stood with him, “C’mon, I’ll buy you a beer. Don’t worry about it,” She patted his back as she guided him to the bar, “It was a simple mistake. People call Holly hot in front of her girlfriend all the time.”

Duncan groaned in embarrassment.

Gail returned with hers and Holly’s drinks. Holly shook her head at Gail, “You’re mean.”

Her girlfriend grinned, “You love it.”

Holly rolled her eyes, “I don’t know what that says about me.” She took a sip of her drink.

Gail put her hand on the small of Holly’s back and turned toward her. “It says you have excellent judgment.” Gail leaned toward Holly and whispered in her ear, “You wanna get out of here?”

It didn’t take but a second for Holly to nod. They both stood, said goodbye to everyone at the table, and put on their coats. Holly took Gail’s hand and led the way to the door. Gail looked toward the bar and caught Duncan watching them. She smiled and waved at him before following Holly out into the night. 


	36. Chapter 36

Chloe looked up from the ridiculously accurate model of 15 Division she was making out of stone blocks on her tablet, when there was a knock on the doorframe of her hospital room door. Chloe automatically smiled at the woman in the doorway. She looked vaguely familiar. Her long hair felt in straight lines and her clothes were fairly casual for the middle of the work day. There was also a white paper bag in her hand.

“Chloe?” the woman asked.

“Yeah,” Chloe smiled. Chloe put down her tablet, “Do I have a doctor’s appointment?”

The woman at the door smiled, “Hopefully not with me.” She stepped into the room, “I’m Holly, the forensic pathologist.”

“Yeah,” Chloe put her hand to her forehead, “I knew that. You’re, um, Gail’s friend right?”

“I think that’s what we’re calling it,” Holly shrugged, nonchalantly.

“Sorry. This medication they put me on makes me kind of forgetful,” Chloe dropped her shoulders and tilted her head with an apologetic smile.

Holly smiled, “It’s totally okay.” She lifted up the bag in her hand, “Officer Epstein asked Gail to bring you this. Then Gail asked me. There’s some kind of really cool crime scene she wanted to go look at.” Holly offered the bag to Chloe.

Chloe opened it and smiled, “Thank you so much. You really didn’t have to do this.” Chloe took out her favorite sandwich from her favorite deli across town.

Holly shrugged, “It was no problem. I was heading back from that way.”

“Was there a homicide?” Chloe asked, eagerly. She sat back a little when she realized how excited she sounded, “Sorry. I’ve been in here a long time. I’m so bored.” She turned on her tablet and showed Holly what she built, “It’s a model of 15 Division, completely with the correct number of bathroom stalls in the men’s room.”

Holly chuckled, “That’s actually really impressive.” She pushed her glasses up by the frame and nodded, “Yeah there was a homicide. A woman was killed in her house.”

“Was she shot?” Chloe asked.

“Not that I can see from my preliminary examination,” Holly shrugged, “Although I have seen some cases like hers before where she was poisoned.”

Chloe grinned, “Rat poison?”

Holly grinned and shook her head, “I won’t know until I get back to the lab.”

“Sorry,” Chloe shook her head, “I’m just going bonkers in here.”

“Can I get you anything?” Holly offered moving closer to the bed, “There’s a bookstore down the street. I can get you some books or DVDs or something.”

Chloe shook her head, “I couldn’t ask you to do that. You already got my sandwich.”

“I have time to kill,” Holly shrugged, “The body won’t get to the morgue for another hour or so. Really, I would probably be going to the bookstore anyway.”

Chloe squished her mouth to one side, “Are you sure it’s no trouble?”

“No trouble,” Holly smiled, “Any particular book or movie?”

“Police movies and mystery novels,” Chloe leaned back against her pillows. “If I don’t get back to work soon, I am going to go crazy.”

Holly glanced at the monitors next to Chloe out of habit and then nodded, “Okay, I’ll be right back with those.”

“Hold on,” Chloe sat up straight, “You’re a doctor right? Do you have any idea how much longer I’ll be in here? You can totally look at my chart. I’m dying though – well not literally anymore. I’m just so tired of staring at these ugly curtains.”

Holly ducked out the door and grabbed Chloe’s chart from the bin attached to the wall. She opened it as she stepped back into the room. “Um, according to all this you’re doing fine. They just want to make sure nothing gets infected. It’s on your neck so it’s pretty vital that it doesn’t get infected.” Holly closed the chart, “Depending on the doctors that could be for a few more days.”

Chloe groaned, “Thanks anyway.”

Holly put the chart back, but stayed near the door. “So police movies and mystery novels.”

“Yeah, the old timey mystery novels where the detectives all rolled cigarettes while they’re interrogating suspects,” Chloe added excitedly.

“Alright,” Holly nodded.

“Thank you so much, Holly,” Chloe smoothed out her blanket on her bed. She looked down and then back up, “Gail’s lucky.”

Holly grinned, “She knows.” She put her hands in her pockets and then bowed out, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Chloe called after her, “Thank you.”


	37. gail comes out to elaine

Elaine Peck pulled up into her driveway. Had she not been a trained police office she would have overlooked her daughter sitting on the front porch. She was leaned against one of the columns on the front porch under the light.

Elaine stopped her car short of the driveway and put it in park. She was concerned as to why her daughter was sitting on her front porch at eleven o’clock at night. She got out of her car, slipping her handgun into her purse before closing her car up and walking up the sidewalk to the front door.

Gail looked up at the sound of footsteps walking toward her. She was glad her mother arrived. It was starting to get cold.

“You’ve been drinking,” was the first thing out of her mother’s mouth.

Gail rolled her eyes, “Fine. I’ll just leave.” Gail stood up and started to walk past her mother.

Elaine stepped in front of Gail. She looked Gail over. She knew there was a reason Gail came over unannounced and without coercion. It was probably something serious and it was the first time since Gail was grown that she had come home for help. “Come inside.” She touched Gail’s arm gently, “I’ll start some tea.”

Inside, Gail curled up at the end of the couch with her head resting on the arm. She patiently waited for her mother to return with the tea. Elaine changed as the kettle got hot and then returned to the living room. She sat on the other end of the couch from Gail and set the tea tray on the coffee table.

“What’s on your mind?” Elaine asked.

Gail’s eyes were red when she looked over at Elaine. There was a sad defeat in her eyes that softened and melted away Elaine’s work exterior until the only person that sat in front of Gail was her mother. Elaine could tell that Gail had been crying. Gail didn’t cry often so Elaine new it took something devastating to wreck her little girl.

Gail bit her lip and thought for a moment before asking, “Why did you marry Dad?”

Elaine straightened up, “What do you mean?”

“How did you know that he was the one you wanted to marry?” Gail looked at the darkened fireplace. “I mean you’ve been married for almost thirty-five years. There must have been a reason.”

Elaine leaned forward and picked up a tea bag, placing it in her mug. “There were a lot of reasons.”

“Were you in love with him?” Gail lulled her head so that it was resting against the back of the couch so that she could stay curled up in herself and look at her mother.

Elaine smiled fondly, “Very much so.”

“How did you know you were in love with him?” Gail sighed. She crossed her arms and pushed into the back of the couch.

Elaine picked up the kettle and poured the water over the tea bag. Elaine sat back against the couch to let the tea steep, “What brought this on?”

Gail shrugged, “I don’t know.” She averted her gaze from her mother and looked back at the empty fireplace. She whispered, “I think I’m going crazy.”

“Why is that?” Elaine turned more fully toward Gail.

Gail licked her lips, “I – I think I’m in love and if I’m in love now, then I was doing it wrong before. This is different. It’s terrifying. I feel so out of control. It’s like I fell out of an airplane and it’s beautiful and fun, but the ground is rushing toward my face and…someone else has to pull the ripcord for me.”

“I suppose the question you have to ask yourself is do you trust this someone else to pull the ripcord?” Elaine picked up her tea and softly blew on it.

Gail looked back at her mom. Gail thought it over. Her voice was hoarse when she answered, “Yes.” Gail took a deep breath, “Which makes everything worse because we had a huge fight.”

“What about?” Elaine paused before taking a sip of her tea.

Gail swallowed, her eyes starting to water. She bit the inside of her cheek before explaining, “It doesn’t matter. It was stupid. She’s right.”

Elaine took a moment to process what Gail said. The second ‘she’ came out of Gail’s mouth, the wheels in Elaine’s head started spinning. She knew that Gail was baring all right then and it was a first in their relationship. Elaine put down her tea and scooted closer to Gail. She touched Gail’s knee and evenly replied, “Why don’t you call her? Invite her over so that you two can talk it out.”

“It’s late…” Gail sniffled.

“Is she’s as in love with you as she should be, she’s still awake thinking about the fight as well,” Elaine took hold of Gail’s arm and pulled Gail toward her, enveloping Gail in a motherly embrace.

Gail took a deep breath under her mother’s arms, “You’re not disappointed.”

“Only if she’s a firefighter,” Elaine attempted to joke.

Gail let out a smile as her tears faded away, “She’s a forensic pathologist.”

Elaine rubbed Gail’s arm, “Then she’s smart. Too smart to let this fight come between the two of you.”

 Gail pulled away from her mom and looked her in the eye. “Thanks.”

“You’re my daughter,” Elaine kissed Gail’s forehead, “I’ll love you no matter who you bring home.” She hugged Gail again, “Unless it’s a firefighter.”


	38. Gail and Holly are keeping their relationship on the low and few people know about it., then nick asks Holly out

First off, Holly didn’t really even want to leave her house. Gail dragged her to Sam’s birthday party although Holly barely knew him. Holly had been lingering against the wall, sipping her beer and occasionally saying hi to people she recognized. It was a far from ideal situation. Stack that up with her fourteen hour work day and Holly was ready to pass out.

Holly saw Gail socializing with her friends. Holly sighed. She loved Gail, she did. But sometimes it was exhausting pretending to not be head over heels for the blonde woman that spent most nights in her bed. She understood Gail’s hesitation in coming out to her friends and she was trying to be supportive.

“Did Gail ditch you?”

Holly looked next to her at a man she’d grown familiar with over the past few months of working together. Holly didn’t get a chance to answer when Nick continued, “Don’t worry. She does that to everyone. She did it to me when we were dating.”

Holly shrugged in what she hoped was a nonchalant way, “I’m used to it.” Holly turned toward Nick and leaned her shoulder against the wall, “How are you, Office Collins?”

“Nick,” he smiled. “I’m…about as bored as you.”

Holly broke out a smile, “And here I thought I was being subtle.”

“Oh really?” he overdramatically winced, “Because I’ve got to tell you, that was – that was terrible acting.”

Holly laughed, “Yeah. I was never so much with the theatre.”

“That is totally understandable,” Nick looked toward the coolers, “Do you need another? I think I’m running on empty.”

“Uh, yeah,” Holly just noticed that the bottle of beer she’d been sipping on for almost an hour was gone.

Nick grabbed two bottles out of the cooler. He held them both in one hand and twisted off the tops to both of them. He handed one to Holly who took it with a smile, “Thanks.”

They continued to talk for another half an hour, neither one seeing the sharp blue eyes watching them the whole time. Gail had managed to covertly get Dov to move their conversation into earshot of Holly and Nick’s conversation.

“Believe it or not, I used to play baseball in high school,” Nick put his free hand in his pocket.

Holly leaned back on the wall, “I believe it. Did you go to high school in town?”

Nick nodded. “Central High.”

“Ah,” Holly nodded like she was familiar with it.

“You know it?” Nick asked.

She smiled and shook her head, “I have no idea where that is. I went to high school in Montreal.”

“Do you speak French?” Nick asked, not able to wipe the smile off of his face.

“I do,” Holly ran her finger over the bottom of her beer bottle. “It seemed like an easy thing to pick up at the time. I also know a little German, but that was from being neighbors with a German family for like three years when I first moved to Toronto.”

Gail moved to the cooler behind Nick. She picked up a piece of ice to shove down the back of his shirt when she heard Nick ask, “So I have two tickets to the Blue Jays game Thursday. Do you think you might want to go with me? We could get something to eat before the game?”

Gail had stopped moving. She was staring over Nick’s shoulder at Holly, who met her eyes. Holly was at a loss. She wanted more than anything for Gail to step in. She wanted her to proclaim that they were seeing each other or at least spill something on Nick so she didn’t have to answer.

But Gail just stood there staring at her. Holly’s stomach dropped. She swallowed and turned her attention back to Nick. “I’m sorry. I can’t.” Holly set her beer bottle on the nearest flat surface, “It was nice talking with you, but I’m – I’m gonna go.” Holly turned around and walked away from Nick before he could say anything else.

Gail watched her leave trying to talk herself out of running after Holly. She clenched her jaw and decided to just go after her. Friends did that. At least Gail thought friends did that.

When she got to onto the street, Gail stopped cold. She didn’t expect Holly’s car to be gone. She expected Holly to be walking down the sidewalk, waiting for her. Gail started to feel sick.

She flagged down a cab and gave the driver directions to Holly’s place. She quickly paid the driver and ran up the stairs to Holly’s front door. Gail used her key to let herself in and tossed her coat onto the rack with a practiced ease. Gail locked the door and walked down the hallway. She was about to go straight upstairs when she spotted Holly sitting on the couch with her feet on the coffee table. There was a tumbler of whiskey in her hand. She didn’t look up when Gail walked in. Holly just kept staring at her socks.

Gail moved to the couch and sat down next to Holly, leaving some space between them.

Holly took a sip of her drink and swirled the remaining liquid around in her glass before finishing it off.

“Holly,” Gail started, but Holly shook her head.

“I’m trying, Gail,” Holly quietly spoke. “I’ve been down this road before and it doesn’t get easier and it doesn’t get prettier,” Holly set the glass down on the coffee table, “I swore I would never do it again, but you – you’re…I love you Gail. So I’m trying.”

Gail knew on some level that Holly was struggling, but all the nice, fun parts of their relationship kind of smoothed over the cracks for her. Gail didn’t know how much of a hard time Holly was really having.

Gail stood up and walked outside without a word. Holly leaned forward and dropped her head in her hands. As much as she never wanted to hide her relationship, she didn’t want to lose Gail. Holly thought about it for a little while before going to see if Gail actually left. She didn’t want the night to end like that.

When Holly got to the door, she saw headlights rolling up to the curb through the glass in the door. Holly opened the front door and found Gail standing on the front porch with her arms cross. Nick got out of the truck that had just pulled up.

Gail looked behind her when she heard the door open. Holly looked puzzled, “What’s going on?”

Gail didn’t say anything. She just turned to Nick who was almost to them and took a step back to stand next to Holly.

When Nick saw Holly he put his hands in his pocket, “Look, I’m sorry if I came on too strong-”

“Shut up,” Gail stated. She took a deep breath and looked between the two before holding Nick’s eyes and blurting out, “Holly and I are together. We’ve been seeing each other for a few months and I didn’t want her to say anything to anyone so she couldn’t tell you we were together. I was just all freaked out or whatever, but now it’s out there and if you ever hit on her again, I’ll give you another black eye.”

Nick looked between Holly and Gail. He put his hand on his chest and caught Holly’s eyes, “Wow, I’m really sorry. I had no idea.”

“It’s fine,” Holly crossed her arms and nodded.

Gail looked at Holly and bit her lip, “I’m sorry.” Then Gail turned to Nick, apologizing to him as well. Gail swallowed, “I don’t want to hide it anymore though.” Gail put her hand on Holly’s forearm, uncrossing her arms and taking her hand, “It’s not fair for me to ask you to hide and it’s not fair for the droves of people who keep asking you out.”

Holly slowly let out a smile. She swing their joined hands a little, “I wouldn’t say droves.”

“I almost broke a pool cue over a guy’s head last night at the Penny,” Gail kissed Holly and then turned to Nick, “Can you give us a ride back to the Penny?”

“Sure,” Nick agreed.

“Just let me grab my shoes,” Holly stepped inside. Gail and Nick followed her inside. Gail went to the kitchen to get some water and Nick looked around in the living room.

“Your house is beautiful,” Nick commented, looking around, “Did you decorate yourself?”

Holly pulled on her boots, “Yup.”

“You have great taste,” Nick told Holly, walking over to the fireplace, “Is this original?”

‘Yeah,” Holly stood up and walked over to the fireplace as well, “When I bought the place, someone had enclosed the fireplace completely.”

“That’s insane,” Nick shook his head.

“Right?” Holly smiled.

Gail leaned on the kitchen counter and watched the two, “Hey, G.I. Joe stop drooling over my girlfriend and let’s get out of here.”

Nick ducked his head and blushed. Holly smiled at Gail’s open use of the word ‘girlfriend’. Nick was the first one out the door. Holly had to grab her coat and Gail waited for her. Once her coat was on, Gail surprised Holly with a kiss. Holly smiled into the kiss, “What was that for?”

“Thanks for waiting,” Gail earnestly confessed, “I know it was hard.”

“You don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for,” Holly touched Gail’s cheek. She stroked Gail’s cheekbone with her thumb, “We can stay home if you want.”

Gail shook her head with a smile, “I want to go have fun with my friends and my girlfriend and not have to hide anything from anyone.”

Holly’s smile was equal parts relieved and elated. She kissed Gail and gestured to the door, “Lead the way.”


	39. What Happens After Gail Leaves The Penny Part 1

“Does this mean we can leave this bar now?” Lisa asked when Holly returned from chasing after Gail.

Holly set the drinks on the bar and walked back toward their table. Lisa quickly followed behind her, “Hol, what’s going on?”

“I’m going home,” Holly reached the table and grabbed her coat.

Rachel looked up from her phone, the only one still at the table, “What’s going on?”

“Gail left,” Lisa shrugged, nonchalantly.

Rachel stood and picked up her coat, “I’ll give you a ride.” Rachel caught Lisa’s eyes, “Do you want me to call you a cab?”

Lisa indignantly looked at the other two women. She tried to play it off, “Whatever.”

Holly’s head was down when she followed Rachel out to her car. Her hands were in her pockets and she was replaying what she said to Gail in her head over and over, wondering what she could have said differently.

On the drive back to Holly’s apartment, Rachel looked over at Holly who hadn’t said a word. She finally had to ask about halfway to Holly’s apartment, “What happened?”

Holly’s head lulled from pressed against the window to back on the headrest, “Lisa was talking about how Gail and I would never last because she’s just a cop.” Holly tried to fight away tears as she went on, the volume of her voice lowering considerably, “Gail was right behind us.”

Rachel reached over and rubbed Holly’s shoulder, “You know Lisa lives with her foot in her mouth right? And although she is a classist bitch sometimes, she’s trying to look out for you in her own twisted way/”

“I know,” Holly sighed heavily. “It’s just…Gail never wants to see me again.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Rachel looked over at Holly while she was at a stoplight.

Holly dropped her head into her hands, “She said she’d rather tase herself in the eye than spend another second with me.” Holly was finally starting to lose her battle with tears. She sniffled, “I’m a terrible person. I should have said something different. I should have told her that I loved her instead of being scared of getting hurt. I’m so stupid.”

They rolled up into the parking lot of Holly’s apartment building and Rachel put the car into park. She turned off the car and looked over at Holly, “Holly, look at me.”

Holly drug her eyes up from the floorboard and looked through watery eyes at her friend.

“I know you don’t notice a lot of the things around you,” Rachel let out a kind smile, “You’re brilliant, Holly, but you’re oblivious sometimes and I’ve never seen anyone look at you the way Gail looked at you. She’s as in love with you as you are with her and from what you told me, she’s just as terrified as you.” Rachel took Holly’s closest hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, “Don’t listen to Lisa. I think she’s still kind of into you and still really jealous.” Rachel tucked some hair behind Holly’s ear, “Coming from probably your only straight friend, I see this working out. I don’t know if you need time to cool down or you want me to drive you to Gail’s place right now, but in the long run, I see you and Gail very happy and dorky together for a long, long time.”

Holly smiled through her tears and Rachel smiled back. Holly sniffled, and wiped her eyes, “Thank you.” She bit her lip, “I think I’m going to go lie down and maybe call Gail tomorrow.”

“Whatever you think,” Rachel patted Holly’s hand. She walked Holly to her front door and hugged her goodnight.

Holly looked around her apartment that seemed cavernous. She wasn’t sure if it was the space or that she was indefinitely alone, but Holly wanted to go somewhere smaller. Holly ascended the stairs, making her way to the bedroom. She silently changed into a t-shirt and hot pants. Then she crawled under the covers with her phone in her hand. She wanted to give Gail the space to be angry, but she wanted Gail to call her so that she could apologize.

Holly fell asleep with her glasses still on and the silent phone in her hand. 


	40. What Happens After Gail Leaves The Penny Part 2

Holly had waited for Gail to call her. She gave Gail her space to be angry, but now instead of waiting for Gail to lob the ball back into her court, she was going to steal it back.

Of course life really was never that kind to her. Just as Holly was building the courage to drive to Gail’s apartment, she got called to a crime scene.

It wasn’t as bad or extensive as it could have been. There was a large crowd outside though, wondering what happened inside of a downtown night club. Sam was investigating so there were few questions asked. Holly gave him her preliminary explanation for cause of death and then called the morgue to pick the body up.

It was late when Holly got back to her car and she knew that it was probably too late to bother Gail. Holly rested her head on the headrest. She had a headache and she was tired, but she knew she wouldn’t sleep well until she talked to Gail.

When she was thinking in her car, there was a knock on her window that startled her. Holly’s instinct was to reach for a weapon to defend herself and the first thing she grabbed was a water bottle.

Holly saw the midsection of a police officer and rolled down her window. She jumped again when Gail’s face appeared abruptly in her window. She gripped the water bottle even harder.

Gail was trying to be mad, but she was having a hard time when Holly was so terribly helpless. “Are you going to beat me up with a water bottle?”

“No,” Holly tossed the water bottle into her passenger’s seat, “You scared me.”

“Yeah well, you have to move your car,” Gail stood up straight and took a step back so that she could put her hand on the top of Holly’s car and still see her. “Your morgue lackeys need to pull in here.”

“Oh, okay,” Holly looked around for her keys, “Sorry.” For a moment, she forgot that she and Gail were fighting. It just seemed normal. Holly found her keys and turned toward Gail, “When if your shift over?”

“Eight in the morning,” Gail looked over the top of the crowd, “Why? Wanna bring your friends to 15 so they can insult me again?”

“I want to meet you for breakfast,” Holly sat back in her seat, “Please?”

Gail sighed. She shifted her weight, “You can bring donuts to 15 and walk me out to Dov’s car.”

“Okay,” Holly looked behind her car and saw that the morgue van was waiting to pull into her spot. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Gail turned around and walked away.

Holly didn’t sleep all night. She just paced around her apartment, trying to find the right words to offer to Gail. At eight o’clock she’d been standing outside the women’s locker room for fifteen minutes.

Gail slowly walked around the corner, her hand on the strap of her bag. She was nervous and she knew it was showing. She just thought that if she walked slowly and didn’t talk much, no one would notice.

Holly smiled faintly when she saw Gail emerge. She’d never not been happy to see Gail. Even if Gail was mad at her, she was glad to see her.

“Alright,” Gail walked up to Holly, finally regaining enough anger to walk quickly. “You have until we get to Dov’s car.” She took the box of donuts from Holly. She felt the bottom of the box was warm and the box was labeled her favorite donut place.

“Lisa doesn’t speak for me,” Holly started immediately, “She’s overly critical and kind of a bitch. I just don’t make friends easily, you know, and we’ve been through a lot together.” Holly walked in step with Gail who seemed to speed up the second she heard Lisa’s name. “Anyway, I love that you’re a cop. Everything about your job is interesting and I love what I do.” Holly looked in front of them to see that she had already taken up half of the long hallway to the front doors. “I love that we have almost nothing in common and that we can tell each other things.” When they reached the doors to the outside, Holly pushed it open with her back so that, for a moment, she could face Gail who had said nothing while she was eating her first donut. For a brief moment of eye contact, Holly spilled out “And you’re the most fun person I’ve ever met. You’re intimidatingly beautiful and sometimes I can’t believe someone like you would ever want to be my friend, let alone actually want to date me.”

They arrived at Dov’s car that was parked in front of Holly’s car. Dov was standing next to his car waiting for Gail. He looked at Gail, “Ready?” Then she shot a pointed glare at Holly.

Gail paused at the passenger’s side door and Holly moved to stand in front of her. Holly licked her lips and looked at the ground, “Look, I understand if you don’t want to ever see me again. I just wanted to let you know that I never thought anyone was going to get hurt because I never thought we were going to end. That may freak you out or whatever, but…that’s just what I thought…” Holly started to walk away, but she stopped when she was next to Gail. “I forgot about this.” She pulled a bottle of chocolate milk out of her pocket and offered it to Gail.

Gail slowly reached up and took the bottle from Holly. The second she had hold of the milk, Holly walked toward her car. Gail turned and looked at Dov. He was waiting, rapt with the conversation happening in front of him. His forearms were on the top of his car when he turns his palms to the sky, silently asking Gail what she was going to do.

He thought that his question had been answered when Gail opened the door to Dov’s car. She dropped her bag in the floorboard and looked behind the car as Holly was getting into her car. She called, “Holly.”

Holly was halfway into her car and stood back up when Gail called her. “Yeah?”

“Do you still want to go to breakfast?” Gail asked, letting a smile creep up on her lips.

“Yes,” Holly immediately smiled, “Of course.”

Gail closed her work bag in Dov’s car and looked across the car at him. He smiled, pleased with the outcome of what just went down. “Have fun.”

“If you spend any more time thinking about us,” Gail watched him as she walked to Holly’s car with her donuts and milk in hand, “I will beat you with my baton.”

Dov saluted Gail and then looked at Holly, “Uh, Holly, we should have a drink some time.”

Holly sensed something less than friendly in Dov’s tone, but she nodded, “Sure. Whenever you want.”

Gail got into Holly’s car and Holly started the car. She looked over at Gail and couldn’t contain her giddiness, “Where do you want to go?”

“That park by your house,” Gail opened the box of donuts.

Holly nodded and took off driving. They didn’t say anything on the way to the park and when Holly parked, Gail got out of the car with the donuts. Holly watched Gail hop up onto the hood of the car and look at the dewy park in front of the car.

Holly got out and joined Gail on the hood of the car. She crossed her legs and watched a duck walk toward a still pond.

Gail opened the donut box and turned them to Holly, “I know you don’t eat donuts because they’re not healthy or whatever, but-”

Holly plucked one out of the box and took a bite before Gail could finish. Holly watched Gail, sort through what was left of the dozen. She studied Gail for a moment before speaking again, “Did I freak you out?”

“Nah,” Gail took out a chocolate donut and looked up at Holly, “Someone shot at me today. You can’t freak me out after that.”

“Someone shot at you?!” Holly’s eyes widened and her voice raised an octave.

Gail grinned around her donut and shook her head, “No, no they didn’t.”

Holly carefully hit Gail’s arm, “That’s not funny.”

Gail started laughing, “Really because you should have seen your face.”

Holly put her face in her hands. She groaned loudly. “Not funny.”

Gail leaned over and pulled Holly’s hands from her face. She dropped a kiss on Holly’s lips and then laid back on the windshield. Holly looked over at Gail and smiled down at her. “You’re incredible.”

“I know, but you can keep telling me,” Gail opened her arms to Holly.

Holly moved to lie down next to Gail and felt Gail’s arms wrap around her. Once Holly’s head was on her shoulder, Gail quietly confessed, “I’m sorry for what I said at the bar. Not for what I said about Lisa, but for what I said about you.”

Holly smiled and rested her hand on Gail’s stomach, “Forgiven.”

Gail reached for another donut and popped it into her mouth, “Your speech at 15 was great, but I’m gonna be honest, these donuts sealed the deal.”

Holly laughed, “I figured. I asked them to make a new batch so they’d be warm for you.”

Gail finally smiled completely and unhindered for the first time since their fight, “Plus one forever.”


	41. Post 5x05

Oliver looked at the clock on the wall. “C’mon, Peck. Let’s go for a drive.”

Gail looked at her new watch to see the time. It was after the end of her shift and she didn’t really want to go home. “Fine.”

Oliver was on the phone with Celery when Gail stepped out of the locker room after changing. He told her that he’d be home a little late. She didn’t seem to mind from what Gail could tell.

Once in Oliver’s car, Gail just stared out the window. She just felt so lost. She was so deep in this dark well of emotion that it was getting hard to breath.

It took Gail a while to realize that Oliver was referencing a post-it note while driving. When she finally realized where they were, Oliver had stopped in front of the front door of Holly’s townhouse. “Oliver, what are you doing?”

Oliver turned off the car and looked at Gail. “I have seen this job come between relationship after relationship. It’s hard to date cops because sometimes they understand a little too much. It’s hard to date people who have nothing to do with law enforcement because they don’t understand at all. In that townhouse right there, is a happy medium.” Oliver leaned back in his seat, “I’m not telling you what you should do or to sway you to do anything. Maybe you and Holly will work out in a year or two, or maybe Venus will never be in the right house or whatever for you two and it’s best if you never speak again. I don’t know. I don’t have the answers, but what I do know is that being stuck in relationship purgatory with Holly isn’t something you need right now. Your case is hard. Bad things happen to good people and you don’t need a huge question mark dangling over you as well.”

“What am I suppose to do Oliver?” Gail asked, already trying to fight away a swell of emotions.

“Well it’s four a.m. so you go up there and tell her that you want to be with her, in an incredibly romantic gesture,” Oliver counted on his fingers, “Or you go up there, wake her up in the middle of the night to tell her that it’s over. Or door number three, we drive away from here and get some breakfast.”

Gail was quiet for almost two minutes. She looked down at the blue scarf she was wearing and rolled the fringe on the end between her fingers. “What if I go up there and tell her I want to be with her, but she’s already moved on?”

“Then you know and you move on,” Oliver looked at Gail. “You don’t have to do this though. Not if you’re not ready. But sometimes, us coppers, we’re brave at work, but we need a little push at home.”

Gail stroked her scarf. The scarf was the color of Holly’s favorite couch pillow. It was such a strange thing to remember, but Gail could see the color vividly. Holly would pick it up and hold it when she sat down. When they watched movies, Holly would hold it until Gail was bold enough to take its place.

Gail unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door, “Start the car.” She stood out of the car and closed the door.

Oliver sighed. He really hoped that they would work it out, but it seemed that he had become the getaway driver to the breakup of Gail and Holly.

Gail walked up the sidewalk and stood on the porch. She ran a doorbell a few times and straightened out her sweater. Gail looked back at the car Oliver had started. She still wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but she knew that Oliver was right. She needed to get out of limbo with Holly and decide.

Gail saw a shadow moving behind the glass of the front door before the porch light came on. It only took a second after that for Holly to unlock and open the door. Holly definitely looked like she had been awaken from sleep. Her eyes were still groggy when she breathed out, “Gail.”

Holly desperately tried to read Gail’s face. It was so early in the morning and there were so many emotions crossing Gail’s face that Holly was having a hard time deciphering what they were. There was panic and maybe sadness, something along the lines of confusion. Holly pulled at her sweater and wrapped it around herself. “Is everything okay? Are you okay?” Holly’s mind started racing, “Is Steve okay? Did something happen to your parents?”

Gail’s hand started moving before she made up her mind, but her mind was quick behind it. Gail’s hand slipped around the back of Holly’s neck, up into her hair, and pulled her into a kiss. Holly was surprised and stiff at first, but eased into the kiss. She kissed back just as hard at Gail was kissing her, missing Gail’s lips every second they were apart.

Gail didn’t move far from Holly and rested her forehead against Holly’s, “Do you still want to be with me?”

“Desperately,” Holly answered in a shaky whisper.

That was all the answer Gail needed. She stroked Holly’s hair and kissed her again. This time when she pulled away, she stood up straight. “Okay. You can go back to bed now.”

Holly smiled, “You come here and kiss me like that and then you just leave?”

Gail smiled genuinely for the first time in weeks, “I’m going to go have breakfast with Oliver.” She gestured with her thumb over her shoulder to Oliver’s car. Oliver was trying to pretend like he wasn’t watching and smiling, but Holly saw him looking over Gail’s shoulder. She waved at him and he waved back. Gail put her hands in her back pockets, “But I’ll be back after that if that’s okay.”

“Of course,” Holly ducked back inside the house for a second and stepped out with a key dangling from her finger. When Gail went to grab it, Holly took her hand and pulled her back into a kiss.

Gail smiled against Holly’s lips causing Holly to smile as well. Holly kissed Gail deeply before letting her pull away, “Let yourself in.”

Gail took the key and stepped away, knowing that if she kissed Holly again, she would just stay. “I’ll be back soon.”

“I’ll be here,” Holly pulled her sweater around herself again and crossed her arms.

Gail stepped off of the porch and walked back to the car. When she got in, Oliver asked, “What are you doing?”

“We’re going to have breakfast,” Gail smiled and looked at the key in her hand, “I’m buying.”

“Well why didn’t you say so?” Oliver asked, smiling as well. He put the car into drive and eased away from the curb, “Congratulations, Peck.”

“Thanks,” Gail looked out the window and saw Holly still standing on the front porch looking utterly shocked, but elated. Holly ducked her head and smiled widely before ducking back into her house. Gail pushed back against her seat and smile happily. She looked over at Oliver, “Really, thank you.”

Oliver kept driving, but nodded, “No problem. That’s what friend are for.”

_**Part** **2**_

Gail walked up to Holly’s front door with her go bag over her shoulder. She waved back to Oliver who was acting like he was dropping her off on her first day of kindergarten.

Gail had to put her bag down so that she could dig the house key out of her tight burgundy pants. She didn’t hesitate to put the key into the lock. She slowly unlocked the door and put the key back into her pocket. Gail grabbed her bag and opened the door. She didn’t want to startle Holly so she called out, “Holly?”

Gail was a little startled herself when Holly stepped out of the kitchen. Holly immediately smile, “Hey.”

“Hey,” Gail smiled back. “You didn’t go back to sleep?”

Holly shook her head, “I made some tea and started reading. I don’t have to work today so I’m not worried. Do you want some tea?”

“Please,” Gail dropped her bag by the door and locked it behind her. Gail walked to the living room, flopping back on the couch.

“How was breakfast with Oliver?” Holly asked as she poured the tea in the kitchen.

Gail laid down on the couch and looked at the ceiling, “It was great. We talked and ate pancakes.”

Holly walked in with two mugs of tea. She sat down next to Gail’s knees and offered Gail one of the teas. Gail sat up a little, then accept the tea. Holly took a sip, “That sounds like a great breakfast.”

Gail looked at Holly. She took in Holly’s glasses and her long dark hair, her inquisitive eyes. Holly was waiting for her to say something or was comfortable with the quiet. That was always something that Gail loved about Holly. She didn’t need to talk. She didn’t need to spill her every thought. She spoke when it was important and babbled with it was really important.

Gail moved forward and kissed Holly softly. There was no sound as Gail reacquainted herself with Holly’s lips. Holly didn’t push the kiss any deeper or pull away. She was content to go wherever Gail wanted to go.

When Gail sat back, she took a sip of her tea. “So, how’s Lisa?”

Holly closed her eyes and dropped her head, slightly embarrassed, “I have no idea. We haven’t spoken in a while.”

“Oh yeah?” Gail leaned back on the arm of the couch.

Holly scooted farther onto the couch. Gail lifted her legs so that Holly could sit back and she could rest her legs across Holly’s lap. Holly nodded, “I’ve been acting really childish about everything, but I just can’t seem to talk to her without getting angry.” Holly ran her thumbs up and down the sides of her mug, “You’ve been through a lot. You’re a cop. You’re brave and you’re smart and you don’t need her classist elitism.” Holly looked up at Gail and sighed, “Turns out, I don’t either.”

“You didn’t have to dump her as a friend,” Gail said, although she was kind of glad that Holly got rid of her.

Holly nodded, “I did. Because after she said that, I finally realized that she was like that all the time. No matter what I do, it’s never good enough and not in a supportive, I can do better kind of way. It was an outspokenly jealous, I turned down multiple job offers that would pay ten times what I make as a forensic pathologist, kind of way.”

“Why are you a forensic pathologist?” Gail put her tea on the coffee table.

Holly smiled. She set her tea down as well an picked up her favorite accent pillow. Holly placed the pillow on Gail’s legs and rested her forearms on it, “Do you want the nerd story or the Batman story?”

“Oh Batman story, always,” Gail smiled back. “Obviously.”

“I didn’t live in a great neighborhood growing up. There wasn’t a lot of trust in cops, but when the forensic pathologists came out, they had answers,” Holly quietly replied. She smiled faintly, “They didn’t have badges or guns. They had magnifying glasses and latex gloves. I was taught by the neighborhood kids that cops didn’t care about us, but the forensic pathologists only paid attention to whoever was killed and they cared about what happened to us.” Holly offered a smile to Gail, “Obviously I know better now.”

Gail nodded. She understood. A few generations ago, the police had betrayed the public’s trust and her parents were the ones that started to earn it back. Gail was hoping that by the time she was done with the city, the public didn’t have any distrust left for their profession. Gail picked up Holly’s hand and started tracing the lines on Holly’s palm, “What’s the nerd story?”

“There are more puzzles,” Holly smiled. “Apart from being a full time diagnostician, this is the only medical profession where I get so much variety and so many mind-expanding puzzles.”

Gail smiled back at Holly, “You are a nerd.”

Holly shyly nodded and looked down at her hand that Gail was playing with. After a brief silence, Holly asked, “Are we okay? I really am sorry for what Lisa said. You didn’t deserve it.”

“We’re okay,” Gail agreed. She sat up and kissed Holly. She knew it was true. For the first time in a long time, she knew for sure that she would be okay. Especially if she had Holly in her corner. 


	42. Dov and Chloe catch Holly and Gail making out in an interview room

Chloe fumbled with the handle of the observation room while trying to maintain lip contact with Dov. She finally got it open and they stumbled into the room. Dov kicked the door closed and stopped their progress in the middle of the room. “I have to get back on shift in fifteen minutes.”

“It’s okay,” Chloe pulled away and looked up at Dov, “I believe in us. We can.-” Something moving caught the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see what it was and gasped when she saw someone was in the interview room on the other side of the one way mirror. She let out a small smile, “Oh my god.”

Dov’s mouth dropped open when he saw Holly sitting on the table in the interview room with Gail standing between her legs. They were missing each other deeply, all tongue and passion. He looked at Chloe who seemed enthralled. “Should we tell me we can see them?”

“Yeah,” Chloe breathed out, not really attempting to look away.

“Chloe,” Dov took her shoulders and turned her to him. “You’re staring.”

“No I wasn’t,” Chloe tried to lie. Then she smiled, “Let’s turn on the ‘In Use’ light so no one disturbs them and we’ll go to the…evidence room.”

Dov flipped on the light and took Chloe’s hand. “Let’s go.”

 

 


	43. Holly's had a long day at work and discovers that Gail is really good at back massages

Holly had quite possibly the longest day of her life. A spree killer whose favorite form of homicide included poison kept her busy for almost forty hours straight. She sat in her officer chair contemplating just sleeping at her desk. Her head was on the way down when she heard footsteps.

Holly could barely lift up her head so she just let it fall back onto her office chair. Gail walked into the room and stood in front of the desk. She leaned forward on it, “You looked exhausted.”

Holly smiled, lazily, “Yeah. I think I am.”

Gail smiled back down at her. “I’m here to take you home.”

“Oh good,” Holly heaved herself out of her chair and picked up her bag, “I shouldn’t drive.” She picked up her keys off of her desk and handed them to Gail.

Gail put her arm around Holly’s waist and Holly’s head only took a moment before she rested her head on Gail’s shoulder. Gail rubbed her back, “You were a rock star these past two days.”

“Thanks,” Holly used her pass key to get them out of the lab and into the loading bay. “I just can’t tell if I want to just go to sleep or eat everything in my apartment or take a shower.” Holly spotted her car and made her way toward it, “I bet I could sleep in the shower.”

“But you still have to eat,” Gail smiled. She opened the passenger’s side door for Holly, “When we get to your place, you go straight to the shower and I will make you a sandwich. Then you can sleep for a few days okay?”

Holly flopped onto the seat and smiled up at Gail. Her eyes were already drooping, “You’re the best.”

“Yeah I know,” Gail started to close the door.

Before she could get the door all the way closed she heard a tired, “I love you,” escape Holly’s lips. The door clicked shut and Gail smiled to herself. It wasn’t the most romantic way to say I love you for the first time, but it still meant the world to Gail.

When they got to Holly’s apartment, Gail walked up the stairs behind Holly because she was scared that she was going to fall backwards. Holly was hoisting herself up the stairs with slow steps and a death grip on the handrail.

Gail started the shower and left Holly to get into it. She went down the stairs and got out all of Holly’s favorite things to put on a sandwich. She started slicing the tomatoes with a wisp of a smile on her face. Holly loved her. She never really had any reason to doubt it, but they were both nervous, private people and saying it out loud was a massive step.

Gail finished the sandwich and cut it in half. It definitely wasn’t a grouping of things she would have put on a sandwich before dating Holly. For some reason, putting sprouts on a sandwich was never really appealing.

Then she shower went off, Gail got Holly a glass of water which she carried up to the bedroom with the sandwich. Holly was already face down on the bed in her underwear and a t-shirt. Gail walked to the nightstand, “Hey, you need to eat.”

“I can’t move,” Holly stated, “I’m so sore.”

Gail set the sandwich and water down on the nightstand and touched Holly’s back. She rubbed up and down before starting to knead the sore muscles across her back. “Where are you sore?”

“Everywhere,” Holly groaned, “Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

Gail got a little deeper into Holly’s lower back and Holly moaned. “You’re so good at this.”

“Thanks,” Gail chuckled and continued massaging Holly’s back. She moved up to Holly’s shoulders, “How about I massage your scalpel hand and you eat with your other hand?”

Holly didn’t want to move, but eventually agreed. She sat up and let Gail work on her arm while she ate her sandwich. Holly moaned after the first bite, “This sandwich is so good. I’ve been eating out of vending machines for two days.” Holly kissed Gail, “you’re the best.”

After the sandwich was gone, Holly laid down. Gail laid down with her and protectively put her arms around Holly.

“Will you be here when I wake up?” Holly asked, just seconds from a deep, restorative sleep.

Gail stroked Holly’s hair and dropped a kiss on her forehead, “Yeah.” She kissed Holly’s head against and tucked it under her chin, “I love you too.”

Holly didn’t reply because she was long gone, but Gail didn’t need her to. She just held Holly and let herself drift off to sleep. 


	44. After living together for awhile; while doing something incredibly mundane and domestic (eg. vacuuming, dishes, laundry), Gail casually asks Holly to marry her.

“Uh, this place is a mess,” Gail picked up another empty beer can off of the coffee table in hers and Holly’s apartment.

Holly kept sweeping up a strangely large amount of dirt that was behind the couch, “That’s what we get for partying like it’s 1999.”

Gail stopped what she was doing and looked up at the forensic pathologist, “Remind me to update your music collection. You’ve been stuck in the nineties for twenty years.”

“Twenty awesome years,” Holly smiled and continued to sweep. She swept as much dirt as she could get into the dustpan and carried it to the trash, “I think I’m ready to eat. Do you want to order in or go out?”

“Ugh,” Gail groaned, “How can you think about food? It smells like old nachos in here.”

“Let’s just call a crime scene clean up company and get out of here,” Holly put the dust pan down.

“Why do we need a crime scene clean up company?” Gail asked, ready to ditch the mess and take off. She walked over to Holly and put her arms around Holly’s waist.

Holly smiled, “Do you really think this is a job for a regular cleaning company?”

Gail eyed the mess over Holly’s shoulder, “No. You’re right.”

“I’ll call Casey,” Holly leaned back into Gail, “I met her a few times at crime scenes. Her team is really thorough.” Holly smiled again, “This was some party last night, huh?”

Gail grinned and kissed Holly’s neck, “The best.”

“But the apartment is gross,” Holly shook her head, “Let’s go to a B&B for the rest of the weekend. We could visit a vineyard or stay in bed all weekend and watch cartoons.” Holly turned around in Gail’s arms. She smiled at the way Gail was looking at her. “What?”

“We should just go get married,” Gail smiled, not looking away from Holly. She held Holly close, slipping her fingers under the back of Holly’s shirt to feel her skin.

“What?” Holly blinked, “Are you – are you sure?”

Gail nodded, “Why not? We’ve lived together forever and you’re still the coolest chick I know.” Gail wrinkled her nose and smiled wider, “Let’s go get married.”

Holly laughed, “Alright.” She kissed Gail, “Let’s do it. Let’s get married.”


	45. Holly asks Gail to move in with her. Or Gail basically telling Holly that she is moving in with her.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holly asks Gail to move in with her. Or Gail basically telling Holly that she is moving in with her. 
> 
> Part 2  
> Continuing with the moving in theme: While Holly helps Gail unpack, she comes across a box filled with sentimental stuff that Gail has secretly kept over the years/months (eg. coat check tag, batting cage receipt, beer bottle cap from The Penny, etc.)

Holly was tying her left sneaker, getting ready to go run some errands when her doorbell rang. She wasn’t really expecting anyone so Holly curiously checked the peephole. Gail was standing on the other side of the door, looking down the hallway.

Holly quickly opened the door and smiled, “To what do I owe this surprise visit?”

“My apartment has ants,” Gail picked up the duffle bag at her feet. The bag had been sitting next to a few cardboard moving boxes, “The exterminator is coming today. I have to stay here.”

“Okay,” Holly replied, although it seemed she didn’t have much of a choice. Not that she would have turned Gail away. It was just a surprise. Holly let Gail in and then picked up one of the moving boxes.

Gail went to the couch and put her duffle bag down. She walked back out the door and picked up another cardboard box. Holly was right behind her to get the last one. She kicked the door closed and put the box she was holding on top of the one that she already brought in. “Are these clothes?”

“No,” Gail shook her head, going to the refrigerator, and getting out a bottle of juice, “My clothes are in the car.”

“Whose car?” Holly asked, looking over the boxes and trying to figure out what exactly Gail brought that she couldn’t have left at her apartment.

Gail opened the juice and took a sip, “My dad’s.”

“Do you wanna put these boxes in my office or something?” Holly asked, gesturing to the boxes that were in the kitchen doorway.

Gail looked them over, “Nah.”

“Okay…” Holly put her hands on either side of the doorway to the kitchen. She caught Gail’s eyes, “Do you want to go get your clothes out of the car and hang them up?”

Gail thought it over for a moment, “I’ll get them. You probably need to make room in your closet.”

Holly ran a hand over the top of her ponytail, wondering how much stuff Gail brought for just a few days. “Okay.”

When Gail went outside, Holly went upstairs. She started moving a few things around and taking down some of her winter clothes because it was starting to get warm. She could just store them on the shelf above her hanging clothes. Once she had cleared out about one fifth of the closet, she stepped out of her bedroom and found Gail sitting on her bed with three piles of hanging clothes. They weren’t just small piles. Holly was pretty sure that on her bed lay every stich of clothing that Gail had to her name.

“Gail?” Holly asked pressing her shoulder against the closet doorframe. She smiled and then looked down to reign in that smile a little. When her eyes set upon Gail again, she was sitting silently on the bed, staring blankly back at her. “Is this your way of saying that you want to move in?”

Gail made a face like she couldn’t believe that accusation, “No. Of course not.”

Holly quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head a little. “Gail.”

Gail could see that Holly was seeing right through her ruse. “I mean, if you’re offering…”

Holly smiled, amusedly and walked over to the bed. She sat down next to Gail and kissed her cheek, “Will you move in with me?”

“Well, if you’re going to beg me to, I guess I will,” Gail finally cracked a smile.

Holly rolled her eyes and kissed Gail, “C’mon. Help me clean out half of our closet. We wouldn’t want any of your sequins to touch any of my fleece.”

**_Part 2_ **

“Do we need to go back and get more of your stuff?” Holly asked walking back into the bedroom where Gail was unpacking some pictures. Holly brought two bottles of water upstairs because they had both worked up a sweat cleaning out the closet and unpacking Gail’s things.

Gail looked up, “No. I brought everything.”

Holly smiled at Gail’s confidence in their relationship. Gail was so sure that Holly would say yes that she brought all of her things without saying a word. There wasn’t even a hint that Gail wanted to move in. At least not that Holly could remember.

Holly decided to get back to work. She looked around and picked up a small stationary box, a little smaller than a shoebox. It was light blue with tiny green flowers on it. Holly pulled open the lid and saw a small mismatched collection of things that seemed to have no meaning, until she looked a little closer.

The first thing that Holly touched was a coat check ticket. She recognized her own handwriting scrawled lengthwise down the side. It wasn’t a number. It just said  _Gail_. When she wrote it, she knew that she would remember what coat Gail was wearing even if the coat check girl never showed up.

“What are you doing?” Gail asked, a little more harshly than she intended.

Holly blinked and whipped her eyes over to Gail. She put the card back into the box, “I was just…wondering why you had stationary.” Holly put the lid back on the box, “You don’t. Sorry. I was just curious.” She offered the box to Gail.

Gail slowly took the box and looked it over. Then she shook her head, “Sorry. I mean, it’s… I’m not a sentimental person, but everything in here…” Gail ran her hand over the top of the box before removing it. She sat down on the bed and gestured to Holly to sit next to her.

Holly sat down and touched Gail’s back. She kissed Gail’s cheek, “You don’t have to explain or share anything you’re not ready for.”

“But this is all you,” Gail pulled out a wristband that she had to cut off after going to the batting cages with Holly. She showed it to Holly. Gail picked up a menu from the restaurant they went to after the batting cages. Holly had drawn a stick person running away from a bat on the edge of the menu. She handed the menu to Holly and dug through the box. “It’s mostly menus and bar napkins – stupid things like that.”

Holly saw movie tickets and concert wristbands. There were receipts and small mementos stolen from unsuspecting places. Holly saw a dried flower that she had bought Gail during a walk through the park.

“This is amazing,” Holly looked at Gail with a watery smile. “I can’t believe you kept all of these things.”

“It don’t usually,” Gail licked her lips and tried to figure out what Holly was thinking. “It just seemed…like I should.”

Holly leaned over and kissed Gail. She wasn’t sure what she was trying to convey. Maybe gratitude or admiration. She knew that she always tried to convey complete, adoring love.

Holly put the items in her hand back into the box and gently took the box and the lid from Gail. “We can put this…” Holly looked around and spotted the perfect place. She set the box on the dresser and turned to Gail. “That way we can keep filling it up with…” Holly gestured vaguely, not quite knowing what word she was looking for.

“Us,” Gail slowly stood, “Memories of us.” She took a step toward Holly and wrapped her up in her arms. She buried her face in Holly’s neck and whispered, “Thank you for letting me move in.”

“Thanks for trusting me enough to say yes,” Holly slid her arms around Gail’s waist and kissed the side her head.  


	46. Can your write a one-shot of Gail + Holly attempting to piece together ikea furniture?

“What are you doing?” Gail asked, after assembling almost half of the entertainment center.

Holly looked up from her neatly stacked piles of screws, nuts, and washers. “I’m organizing.” Holly looked over at what Gail had done. She looked back at her neat stacks of shelves and wooden planks. She looked back at Gail and smiled bashfully, “It’s part of my process.”

“Your process is slow,” Gail teased Holly, “I have to wait for you to finish now before we can put them together.” She got up and walked to the kitchen. Gail returned with two bottles of beer.

Holly accepted on and unscrewed the cap, “Well this is the fun part right? I need one of those…forceps looking things.” She gestured to the pile of tools between them.

“You’re shitting me,” Gail picked up a wrench and looked it over, “All these tools are beat up. You know how to fix things. You know that this is called.”

“I know,” Holly took the wrench out of Gail’s hand. “I just forgot for a second. I know what I’m doing.” Holly held the wrench in her hand and looked around at all of her neat piles of things.

Gail sat on the couch and opened her beer, “You know there is literally no reason for you to use a wrench right now.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Holly put the wrench down and picked up a screwdriver. “Where are the instructions?”

Gail smirked and took a sip of her beer. She shook her head, “You have no idea what you’re doing.” She sat down the floor next behind Holly and put her legs on either side of her girlfriend. She pointed to a board and then to a pile of pegs.

Holly picked up with Gail pointed to and looked over her shoulder at Gail.

Gail smiled, “You have at least three pieces of furniture upstairs from IKEA.”

“Did you know that if you pay them an extra fifty dollars, they’ll put it together for you?” Holly asked with a smile. Then she added, “I found these tools in the closet when I moved in.”

Gail kissed Holly’s cheek and put her on the board in Holly’s hand. She helped Holly turn it to expose the hole in the end where the peg was supposed to fit, “You’re lucky you’re cute.”


	47. Okay my prompt is Gail and Oliver talking about the day he saw Holly and her walk out of the interrogation room. :)

Oliver looked over the steering wheel of the squad car he was driving. “I’m terrible at speeches, man. I don’t know why Steve wants me to make one at his wedding.”

“Just wait until my speech,” Gail looked at her phone, “It’s going to be silence because I’ll be drinking in the bathroom.”

“Maybe it would help if I practice,” Oliver drummed on the wheel a little. “I’ll practice on you. Okay, this your wedding. I’m going to make a speech.” Oliver cleared his throat and tapped a fake champagne glass with a fake fork. “I remember the first time I met Gail Peck.”

“Oh god,” Gail groaned, but let Oliver keep going.

“No, that’s not a good way to start,” Oliver thought it over and nodded, “I got it.” He sat up straight, “I remember the first time I spoke to Holly. She and Gail had just snuck out of an interview room, probably making out or something. They thought they were being sneaky by staggering their exits, but I caught on.”

“Hold on,” Gail looked over at him, “We were not making out.” She paused and he looked over at her. She rolled her eyes, “Fine we made out a little bit, but it wasn’t like we planned it. She just wanted to know what was going on because she heard some rumors and then they tried to talk me out of going on shift. She started babbling. I had to shut her up. So we made out a little bit. A little bit. Stop trying to make the first time I kissed her sound dirty.”

“Oh excuse me,” Oliver smiled a little and looked around the car as he turned, “She was worried about you, huh?”

“Yeah,” Gail nodded, “She told me that she didn’t sleep that night.”

“She’s a keeper, Peck,” Oliver stated, “You know how I know that?”

Gail let out a smile, while trying to seem uninterested, “How do you know that?”

“Because you are happy,” Oliver gestured with his hands on the wheel, “You were miserable that two weeks you spent apart and now you are happy. I know it’s never that simple, but that’s a big part of it. Do you make each other happy?”

“Are you asking me or are you telling me?” Gail looked over at Oliver.

“Both,” Oliver smiled over at her. “Holly’s a keeper. She’s sweet. She’s smart. She gets along with your family which you claim is impossible. So she’s magic too.”

“She is magic,” Gail whispered to herself. 


	48. First Fight Box

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See Tumblr for picture and prompt

Gail really shouldn’t have been surprised to find their First Fight Box open on the dining room table. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, they had a spectacularly epic fight that ended in a night on Andy and Sam’s couch.

The bottle of wine was already open and missing about a glass. There was an empty glass next to the wine bottle and the letter with  _Gail_ scrolled across the front was laying on top of the box. Gail shuffled to the table and picked up the wine bottle. She opened the bottle, poured herself a glass, and picked up her letter.

Once she had taken a long sip of her wine, Gail walked with her wine and her letter to the couch. Gail’s movements were slow and deliberate. She opened the letter with an extended rip down the side. She curled up in the corner of the couch and unfolded the letter.

_Gail,_

_I would just like to point out that this is not our first fight. It’s our first married fight, but we had a fight once before. So the box should be called our “First Fight Box After Marriage” or something less wordy._

_Anyway, I can see you right now, grumbling about having to actually use a pen and paper to write something. You keep trying to peek at what I’m writing, but you smile when I push you back to your side of the table. We’re happy now and I think it’s times like these when we’re supposed to remember. We should remember the nights drinking on the couch and watching whatever action movie you’ve blackmailed me into watching. Or the days when I drag you to the park. I tell you it’s because we need to exercise or something, but I just love how the sunlight catches your eyes when you roll them after I ask if you want to go for a jog._

Gail chuckled and picked up her glass of wine. She took a sip and continued to read.

_I also love being out in public with you because I love that people know that you chose me. Sometimes, I still can’t believe that you asked me to marry you. You make me laugh more than anyone else ever has. I’m so in love with you right now and I promise you that I am still so in love with you as you read this. Whatever we fought about isn’t worth it. We both know that time is precious and spending this time mad at each other is wasting it._

_So stop reading this. I’m probably hiding out in the bedroom, reading, and drinking the bourbon you keep under your side of the bed. (Yes, I believe there will still be a bottle of bourbon under your side of the bed.) Go to the bedroom and tell me I’m being stupid or stubborn or whatever because we love each other and that’s all that matters._

Gail decided that the letter was right. They were being stupid. Whatever they were fighting about was not worth spending time apart. Gail left the letter and her wine on the coffee table. She took the stairs two at a time and went straight to the bedroom.

Holly was sitting on the bed, only illuminated by the soft light of the bedside lamp. There was an open book and the open letter on the bed next to Holly, but she wasn’t holding either one. She was clutching a wineglass of bourbon, the bottle was sitting on the floor next to the bed.

Gail smiled and stood in the doorway, just taking it in for a moment before she walked straight to Holly’s side of the bed and swept her up with a kiss. She gently held Holly’s face in her hands while she bent over to kiss Holly deeper. Holly put the bourbon on the nightstand and pulled Gail down onto the bed.

“You called me Lunchbox three times in your letter,” Holly grinned and let Gail sit up straight on the bed next to her.

Gail couldn’t stop her smile. She kissed Holly softly, then tucked some hair behind Holly’s ear. She rested her forehead against Holly’s and took a deep breath, “You were right.”

“So were you,” Holly assured Gail. She picked up the letter, but just held it while she explained, “We’re being boneheads.” Holly smiled, “That’s actually a direct quote.”

Gail put her hand on Holly’s knee, “I love you.”

Holly put her hand on top of Gail’s and ran her thumb over Gail’s wedding ring, “I love you too.”

Gail kissed Holly deeply before breathlessly adding, “And that’s all that matters.”


	49. Got a prompt for you...even if they aren't talking and she hadn't seen Holly since Fight Night, Gail shows up at Holly's place after the case

Gail knocked on the door in front of her. It was late and she hadn’t slept. She couldn’t sleep. She didn’t really try though. She rode with Dov home and played video games for a few hours before she _borrowed_  his car after her fell asleep. She drove around for a while before stopping in the only place that made sense to go.

She knocked again when nothing happened. It was only a second after the second knock that the sound of the locks scraping back told Gail she was heard.

Holly opened the door and leaned on the edge of it, squinting at Gail. She ran a hand through her hair, obviously woken up from a deep sleep. She took a second to take Gail in before she stepped back and held the door open.

Gail put her hands in her coat pockets and walked in without saying a word. She went straight to the couch and sat down on the edge of the cushion. Holly made a pit stop in the kitchen and sat down on the opposite end of the couch from Gail. She put two short glasses on the coffee table. She unscrewed the top of the bourbon bottle and poured them each a drink. She set the bottle down behind the glasses and picked them both up. Holly offered Gail’s glass to her by the bottom and Gail took it from her, careful not to touch Holly when she did.

Gail swirled the drink about in her glass and took a small sip. She rubbed her eyes, “This woman was doing her laundry, right? She was doing her laundry and some gangbanger the floor above her shot his boss to take his job. The bullet went through the air vent and got her,” Gail used her hand with her glass in it to point to her cheek, “Right in the face.” Gail took a sip of her drink and continued to stare down the floor, “She was fine. I mean, I found her and she was in the hospital and they said she would be okay.”

Holly knew the woman didn’t end up okay. She knew because she Guns and Gangs asked her to put a rush on the woman’s autopsy. Her death was a combination of many things, all triggered by the bullet striking her. Holly also knew she wasn’t okay because she saw the woman’s daughter crying in the lobby while her sister had to identify the body. Holly took a long sip of her drink and took a deep breath.

Gail finished off her drink and set the glass on the table. She scooted back on the couch and looked over at Holly, “Are we broken up?”

Holly turned her glass in her hand. She swallowed, trying to give herself a moment to think about her answer, “Do you want to be broken up?”

Gail shook her head timidly at first, but then more assuredly, “I don’t want to just give up. I do that all the time. I’ll just…one thing goes wrong and I’ll just give up.” She looked over at Holly, trying to explain all the chaotic things bouncing around in her head, “I don’t want to give up anymore. Especially with you.”

“Then we’re not broken up,” Holly stood up. She picked up the bourbon bottle and refilled both of their drinks. She stood up and offered her hand to Gail, “We’re going to go upstairs and get some sleep. Then tomorrow, we will talk everything out because I don’t want to give up either.”

Gail looked up at Holly and saw genuine sincerity in her eyes. She took Holly’s hand and stood, letting Holly guide her up the stairs. 

_**Part** _ **2**

Gail slowly rose from the depth of a deep sleep. Her body felt heavy and her eyelids were fighting to stay closed. Every muscle in her body was relaxed completely and it was hard to even try to roll onto her back. She took a deep breath which was lightly scented with whatever tropical fruit was in Holly’s shampoo.

Gail opened one eye and looked down at Holly. Holly was on her side, curled into Gail. Her head was basically tucked under Gail’s, but her arm was protectively wrapped around Gail’s waist.

“Hey,” Gail softly whispered.

It took a moment, but Holly groaned softly and picked her head up. She pushed her hair out of her face and looked up at Gail, “You okay?”

“I just really have to pee,” Gail smiled at Holly’s completely disheveled. Holly didn’t wear a lot of makeup, but somehow early in the morning she looked so naturally beautiful.

Holly smiled back and sat up on her own side of the bed. She looked over at the nightstand and saw what time it was. She didn’t have to be at work for a while, but she knew that once she was awake in the morning, there was no going back to sleep.

After Gail was gone, Holly grabbed her glasses and went to her closet to pick out her clothes for the day. She grabbed some jeans and a long sleeved shirt. She was halfway dressed when Gail walked back into the room. Holly was putting her second leg into her pants when Gail flopped back down onto the bed.

Gail turned her head toward Holly and watched her pull her shirt over her head, “Are you going to work?”

“Not yet,” Holly answered. She adjusted her glasses that she knocked out of place when she put her shirt on. “I am all out of food though. Do you want something from the café down the street?” Holly walked into the bathroom, but didn’t close the door. She brushed her teeth and washed her face.

When she stepped back into the room, Gail asked, “Is it okay if I take a shower while you go get it?”

Holly smiled and nodded, “Yeah. When does shift start?”

“I’m working evening shift tonight,” Gail answered and sat up.

Holly nodded. “Okay. The usual?”

“I need like ten of them,” Gail stood out of the bed and walked over to Holly. She paused in front of Holly, a little unsure if she was allow to do what she wanted to do.

Holly just leaned forward and stole the kiss that Gail was about to give her. “Just come downstairs when you’re ready.”

On the way to the café, Holly called in to work and took a personal day. It was her first one since she started and she was all caught up on everything so no one had a problem with it. Holly picked up a dozen of Gail’s favorite donuts and two coffees. It was sleeting so Holly pulled her hood over her head on the way back to her apartment. After making it up the stairs, Holly walked in and shook her head so that the sleet would fall off of her hood.

Gail made her way down the stairs when she heard Holly walked in. She saw Holly in the kitchen. She walked in behind her and moved on arm on either side of Holly, one to grab a coffee and one to pick up a donut. She did drop a kiss on Holly’s cheek as she pulled away.

Holly turned around and faced Gail. “So, I took the day off.”

“You did?” Gail raised her eyebrows. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or anxious about it. She knew that she got to spend all day with Holly, but it also meant that she and Holly had all day to talk and Gail was never so great with words.

Holly saw the panic flash across Gail’s face. She took a deep breath and licked her lips, “We don’t have to talk right away.”

“No,” Gail shook her head and grabbed another donut, making her way to the couch, “We should – we should talk now.”

Holly grabbed her breakfast and followed Gail into the living room. She sat sideways on the couch and faced Gail, “Okay.” She took a sip of her coffee. Holly brought up the night of their fight in her head and nodded. “Yeah, I, um,” her face contorted in concentration. “I don’t go into relationships, especially like this, without being serious.”

“What do you mean like this?” Gail asked, cutting off what Holly was about to add.

Holly wanted to pull her knees to her chest because she usually sat like that and it made her comfortable, but she knew that Gail was keen on picking up seeing physical cues and Holly didn’t want to seem closed off. She kept her legs extended to the floor, “I mean that I valued your friendship, pretty much above all of my other ones. Your friendship is important to me and I know that romantically if we break up, not matter how much we promise to stay friends, it won’t be the same.” Holly looked at the donut and continued, “I love spending time with you.” She smiled adorningly and looked over at Gail, “I love all the things that come with dating you. I have fun with you.”

“But you’re not just having fun?” Gail asked quietly.

“I wouldn’t do that to you,” Holly shook her head firmly, “I care too much about you to do that.” She looked over at Gail and added, “I wished that I made that more clear before.”

“I think,” Gail paused. She set her coffee down on the coffee table next to the bourbon from the night before and put her donut on top of it. “I think that - Dov and I were talking and he kinda got into my head about the whole thing.” Gail licked her lips, “I started thinking about how different we are.” Gail looked at the wall and added sort of to herself, “So different.” Then she looked back at Holly, “But it’s never hard to find something to talk about.” Gail shook her head, “It really doesn’t bother you that I’m a cop?”

“No,” Holly looked at Gail like she was crazy, “Why would it? You have a best stories and the best friends. If cops bothered me so much, I picked the wrong field to work in. Plus, you in a uniform is…well it does things to me.”

Gail laughed. “You’re a perv.”

Holly just shrugged. She took a bite of her donut.

Gail took that as being Holly’s sign to her that it was still her turn to talk. She bit her lip, “What about how you pay for things all the time? That doesn’t bother you.”

“I pay for things all the time?” Holly asked. She was genuinely surprised by this accusation.

“And you make so much money that you don’t even notice,” Gail rolled her eyes.

Holly tilted her head and gave Gail the look that meant Gail was starting to be petty.

Gail sighed. “I mean – that’s not what this is about. It kinda is, but it’s not.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve been taken care of my whole life. I made my own way into the academy, but even if my application was less than perfect, I probably would have gotten in. My dad used to drive me to work.”

“You think I’m ….taking care of you?” Holly asked.

Gail shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Holly took a long sip of her coffee, “I didn’t think that. I never thought that. I mean, no more than how you’re supposed to take care of your date. I always saw us as equals.”

Gail exhaled and put her head in her hands. She sat up straight again and looked at Holly, “So I haven’t royally screwed this up?”

“Not in the least,” Holly smiled and tucked her legs under herself. She playfully pushed at Gail’s leg with her foot before pulling it back to herself.

Gail smiled and looked over at Holly. She picked up her donut and decided that they were actually going to make it out of this situation okay.

“So, now that we’re talked out,” Holly turned completely toward Gail and leaned on the back of the couch. “What do you want to do for the rest of the day? Do you need me to take you home or anything?”

“I love you,” Gail blurted out.

Holly blinked and looked over at Gail. “What?”

“I love you,” Gail smiled like it was the best thing she’d ever said. She suddenly moved toward Holly, crawling over up Holly’s body and kissed Holly’s deeply. Holly smiled into the kiss, letting Gail guide it. Gail playfully nipped Holly’s bottom lip and pulled away with an adoring grin. “So we’re good?”

Holly put her hands on Gail’s face and stroked the skin under the thumbs. She smiled faintly through breathlessness, “We’re great.” She pulled Gail down again for another time stopping kiss that cemented their inevitable reunion. 


	50. Gail and holly prompt: holly is the lesbian police officer and gail is the snarky forensic pathologist

“Whoa,” Holly squinted and adjusted her duty belt. She was leaning over the crime scene, looking over Gail’s shoulder.

Gail tried not to get her lab coat in the red goo on the floor that surrounded the body, “That is gross.”

“Is that your scientific opinion?” Holly smirked and stood up straight. She stretched her back as far as her police uniform would let her. “This belt is heavy.”

Gail picked up the red bag next to her, “So is this crime scene kit, but you don’t see me complaining.”

“The crime scene kit has beer in it,” Holly rolled her eyes and turned away from the fake body on the floor surrounded by fake blood. She took her glasses off of Gail’s face and put them back on.

Gail held the kit with one hand and unzipped one side. She retrieved a beer, “Well I couldn’t get through one of McNally’s Halloween parties sober, could I?”

"Just don’t spill anything on my lab coat," Holly kissed Gail’s cheek, "I’m going to go squirt Dov." Holly pulled the orange water gun out of her holster and walked off. 


	51. Twist: Gail taking care of Holly that's high on oxy or some drug.

“I never noticed that spider web on the ceiling,” Holly wandered along the ceiling of her apartment as Gail guided her to the stairs.

“Well you don’t usually stare at the ceiling like a crazy person either,” Gail kept her hands on Holly’s waist, gently guiding her up stairs.

“Hey,” Holly smiled when they got to the top of the stairs. She turned around and looked at Gail. “How much of that stuff did they give me?”

“A lot,” Gail turned Holly around and resumed marching her into the bedroom.

Holly didn’t turn into her bedroom like Gail was trying to get her to do. She kept walking toward the bathroom and stepped inside.

“Are you okay?” Holly asked. She started the bath to filling up and then started to strip her clothes off. She pulled her shirt over her head and threw it into the dirty clothes.

Gail stood at the doorway, watching to make sure Holly didn’t fall or anything. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You seemed upset at the hospital,” Holly unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, shucking them off clumsily.

Gail moved into the bathroom to help Holly stay upright. “I was upset because you some asshole attacked you at a crime scene.” Gail’s eyes moved to the gauze on Holly’s forehead just below her hairline. “And because the crime scene wasn’t cleared properly and no one found him in the closet.”

“He didn’t hurt anyone else did he?” Holly reached behind herself, but felt a sharp pain shoot through her back.

Gail shook her head and moved behind Holly to unhook her bra. “No. Chloe tackled him while he was running outside.”

Holly’s bra fell to the ground and her underwear fell to the ground as well. She stepped into the bath and carefully sat down. She leaned back and looked at the ceiling. “I should change the bathroom decoration.” Holly looked at the ceiling, “Moroccan.”

Gail sat down next to the bathtub and put her arm on the edge of the bathtub, then rested her chin on her arm. “I can help.”

Holly lulled her head to look at Gail. She picked her wet hand out of the water and ran it through Gail’s hair, making it stick up in the middle. Gail rolled her eyes, “Holly, what are you doing?”

“You look hot with a fauxhawk,” Holly grinned like she was about to start laughing. Then she looked over Gail’s face, “And you have the best eyes.”

Gail grinned and just put her chin back on her forearm. “Yeah?”

Holly put her hand back into the water, “And you’re so funny.” She watched her limp hands float to the top of the water, “And smart.” Holly’s eyes turned to the ceiling, “I have all the street smarts of a kindergartener.”

Gail smiled, “But you’re book smart. The world needs that too.”

“Why do you even date me?” Holly sunk a little farther into her water up to her chin. “Ugh. You’re so hot.”

Gail’s smile turned from amused to adoring, “You’re hot too.”

Holly’s scrunched her lips to one side, “Not as hot as you. You’re like a ten. I’m a…three point one four one five nine two six five three five nine seven…”

“Holly,” Gail reached into the water and took Holly’s hand, “You are hot. You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met.” She brought Holly’s wet hand to her lips, dropping a kiss on her knuckles. “And even if you weren’t, I still love you.”

“I love you too,” Holly smiled softly. She sat up out of the water just for a moment to kiss Gail.

Gail sat up a little bit and saw Holly rest the back of her head on the edge of the bathtub. She could see some bruises forming on Holly’s torso and it put a damper on her mood, “How are you ribs?”

“Broken,” Holly ran her teeth over her bottom lip, “But not hurting very much right now.”

Gail whispered, “This shouldn’t have happened to you.”

Holly took a slow, deep breath, “A lot of things shouldn’t happen to a lot of people, but I’m okay.”

They were quiet for a while. Holly’s eyes lazily traced the ceiling while Gail continued to take stock of all the damage done to Holly. She was furious with the man that would beat someone who was unarmed and only there to look at the dead guy in the kitchen. But she kept her anger in check because Holly needed her.

When the water got cold, Holly got out of the bath and put on some warm pajamas. She crawled into bed and again, Gail hesitated at the door. She bit her lip looking down at Holly, laying comfortably on the bed.

“Gail?” Holly called softly.

Gail stayed in her doorway, her hands on either side, “Yeah?”

“Come lay down,” Holly’s voice was faint. Gail knew she was tired and close to sleep.

Gail kicked off her boots and crawled into the bed. She laid down close to Holly and opened her arms. Holly scooted into Gail’s chest and Gail closed her arms around Holly protectively, yet gently. Gail closed her eyes and kissed Holly’s head. Today had scared her more than anything else had ever scared her. She’d stared down guns and vicious people out for revenge. But when Oliver told her that Holly had been attacked, she felt like someone yanked her heart out. She’d never felt terror like that before.

Holly had her forearms tucked against her chest and turned her hand so that her fingers could stroke Gail’s collarbone. She swallowed and moved her fingers to drop a kiss there.

“I love you,” Gail whispered, know that now more than ever, she could never tell Holly enough.


	52. can i get a fic where Gail chases Holly, ‘cause 99% of fic is the opposite

Holly walked out of The Black Penny alone. She told her friends that she was going to leave after hitting the bathroom so that they would go. Instead of leaving though, she stayed for a few more drinks. The entire night was a clusterfuck and she knew it. She wasn’t sure why she thought Lisa would be civil to anyone below the rank of Dutchess of Cambridge. She also didn’t think that it would be so easy for Gail to throw their relationship away.

Holly remembered where she parked and walked toward her car. She wasn’t going to drive home. She had had too much to drink for that. She was going to get her work bag out of her car in case she wasn’t going to have time to get it before work the next morning.

She unlocked the car from across the parking lot and as she walked toward it, she spotted someone laying across her windshield. It was hard to see in the dark, but the closer she got, she more sure she was.

“Why are you laying on my car?” Holly asked in a sigh when she got to the car. She opened the backseat door and grabbed her bag.

“I didn’t want to sit on the sidewalk,” Gail didn’t move from the hood of the car.

Holly closed the backseat door and locked her car. She started walking away and locked her car, “Knock yourself out.”

Gail didn’t expect that. She quickly sat up and slid off the hood of the car, “You don’t want to talk about what just happened?”

“Why should I?” Holly asked, continuing to walk away, “You clearly didn’t care about our relationship as much as I did.”

“How can you say that?” Gail trotted to catch up with Holly. She stepped in front of Holly and turned around, blocking her way on the sidewalk.

“We used to talk to each other,” Holly looked Gail dead in the eyes, “You didn’t even give me a chance to tell you that the words of my friends are not how I feel. She votes conservative. She goes to church. She doesn’t like music from this decade.”

“Why are you friends with her?” Gail asked, “She sounds like she sucks.”

“Intellectual discourse,” Holly shrugged. Her voice never raised when she spoke. She just kept a conversational level. “We’ve been through a lot together and we can talk out  _all_  of our problems.” Holly looked Gail over, “Why are you still here, Gail?”

“Intellectual discourse?” Gail set her jaw, “So she’s your smart friend and I’m your what? Stupid, cop sex-friend?”

Holly ran her fingers over her brow and looked at the ground, “Did you think that before tonight? Before Lisa brought it up?”

Gail licked her lips and quietly said, “I don’t know. No.”

“Have I ever made you feel intellectually inferior?” Holly asked.

Gail knew that the answer was no. Holly never made her feel anything but happy and warm. Gail didn’t want to answer so she didn’t.

Holly looked down as tears accumulated in her eyes. Holly looked back at Gail and her eyes sparkled in the city lights. “I just can’t get over how easy it was for you to just…throw us aside. I get that you were hurt, but…you made it look so easy.” Holly blinked slowly. When she opened her eyes, a few tears trickled down her face. She wiped them away, “I love you and you just…” Holly shook her head and stepped around Gail to keep walking down the sidewalk.

 Gail just stood on the sidewalk. Tears sprung to Gail’s eyes and she looked behind her only to see that Holly was getting into a taxi. It drove off in the opposite direction and Gail couldn’t do anything to stop it.

At work the next day, Gail sat at Traci’s desk and looked up at the ceiling, “I messed up so bad.”

“Maybe you could get her flowers,” Dov offered.

“Holly thinks that flowers are a waste,” Gail swiveled in the chair from side to side. “Maybe I could get her a plant.”

“Maybe you could get her something engraved,” Andy suggested, leaning forward on the desk.

Traci walked in with a file in her hand, “Maybe you could get her an apology.”

Gail swiveled around in the chair to look at Holly, “This is a diamond level mess up. I think Dov should chip in because he started it.”

“How did I start it?” Dov asked.

“You made me nervous,” Gail slumped down farther in the chair. She rubbed her face.

Chloe walked into the office and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Gail broke up with Holly, kinda,” Dov explained, putting his hands on his hips, “And we’re trying to help her figure out how to fix it.”

“Did you apologize?” Chloe asked.

“Thank you,” Traci hit Gail with a folder, “I have to get to work.”

Dov nodded to Gail, “We do too.”

“Get something engraved,” Traci offered as Gail got up out of the chair.

Gail rolled her eyes, “Like what, a knife?”

“What does she like?” Andy put her hands on Gail’s shoulders and guided out of the office.

“Nerd stuff,” Gail mumbled. Gail stopped halfway down the stairs and moved past Andy to stick her head back in the detective’s office. “Hey Traci, do you need anything from the crime lab?  _Anything_?”

Holly walked back into her office from her lunch break to find a wrapped gift on her desk and a woman sitting at her desk. Gail didn’t say anything. She just pushed the gift toward Holly with one finger.

Holly was surprised that Gail was there and curious to see what was in the box. She carefully pulled off the lid of the box and found a magnifying glass. Granted it was a really nice magnifying glass. Holly picked it up and looked it over. She was trying not to let out a smile or worse, a laugh. “This is…nice.”

“Look at the handle,” Gail nervously breathed out.

Holly held the magnifying glass in both hands and looked it over, She spotted the engraving, but had to reorient the magnifying glass to read it. In the steel of the handle, the words  _I love you too_  were elegantly scrawled.

Holly looked up at Gail after reading it. She didn’t say anything. She watched Gail swallow and slowly rise to her feet. “I overreacted. I was scared. I’m not good with relationships. I am actually really bad at them and maybe I give up too easily, but…” Gail shook her head, “I don’t wanna give up on us.”

Holly smiled slowly, “Really?”

Gail nodded, trying to contain a hopeful smile, “Can we try again?”

Holly bit her lip, but nodded her head, “Yeah, of course.”

Gail swiftly made her way around the desk and trapped Holly in a hug. Holly settled into it with a smile. Gail pulled back and kissed her. Her hands ran down Holly’s back and up to her hips. She pressed her forehead to Holly’s to break the kiss, “I love you.”

Holly grinned, “I love you too.”


	53. Holly/Gail Prompt: Holly taking care of a Gail that's high on oxy.

“You should get a tattoo,” Gail said to the ceiling as she lay, sprawled out on Holly’s bed.

“Yeah?” Holly smiled. She was picking up the clothes that were on the floor which Gail had unceremoniously taken off on her trek to the bed. Holly had thrown a t-shirt and pajama pants her way and Gail shimmied into them as best she could.

Gail nodded, “You’d look sexy with a tattoo.”

Holly smiled a little wider, “Thanks.” She tossed Gail’s dirty clothes into the laundry basket with her own. “What kind of tattoo do you suppose I should get?”

Gail sat up quickly and then regretted it. Her back was still sore from her tumble down some stairs after being blindsided by a drug dealer. The oxy that she was taking helped significantly, but she couldn’t move too quickly or the pain would quickly out weight the pain killers. Gail reached over and picked up a pen off of the nightstand, “Lay down.”

“You’re going to draw it on me?” Holly asked, still amused. If she thought the pain killers for the acid burn on Gail’s wrist made her girlfriend loopy, she was not prepared for what double the prescription would do. Gail was still Gail she was just…more Gail. That was really the only way Holly thought to describe it.

Gail nodded like it was obvious.

Holly walked over to the bed and laid down on her back, her hands folded on her stomach. Gail didn’t let her lay long. She grabbed Holly’s shoulder and rolled her over onto her stomach. Then she straddled the back of Holly’s legs and pushed her shirt up.

Holly felt the pen start to make its mark on the left side of her back, halfway between her shoulder and her ass. She couldn’t tell what Gail was drawing, but she was just happy to lay there and let Gail do whatever she wanted to do.

“You’re so cool Holly,” Gail mused as she drew, “You’re like…having a best friend with benefits that I’m in love with.” Gail paused her drawing, “That’s called something right?”

“It’s called girlfriend,” Holly chuckled, “I’m your girlfriend.”

“Damn right,” Gail continued to draw, “Best one I ever had.”

Holly pulled a pillow to her and rested her head on it. “Only one you’ve ever had.”

Gail leaned closer to Holly’s skin and mumbled, “Only one I’ll ever need.”

Holly smiled contently. Neither one of them were really good with words and Holly understood that. Sometimes it was just nice to hear it out loud.

Gail sat up, “Done.” She looked it over and nodded, “I like it.” She got up off of Holly and let her girlfriend get off of the bed. Holly went to the full body mirror in the corner of her bedroom and lifted up her shirt. In the middle of her back, in bold type, was  _8727._

“Your badge number,” Holly looked it over. The lettering was actually really impressive. Especially for someone who was pretty high.

Gail dropped the pen onto the nightstand and laid back down on the bed, “You can’t do names because it’s like a jinx on the relationship right? So my badge number.” Holly started moving back to the bed and Gail added, “Maybe I could get your…medical license number tattooed on me.”

Holly smiled and laid down on her side next to Gail, “My medical license number is thirteen characters long, letters and numbers.”

“Driver’s license number?” Gail asked, wrapping her arms around Holly.

Holly kissed Gail’s neck and then settled her head on Gail’s shoulder. “You don’t have to get anything tattooed on you. All my numbers are really long.”

“Metropolitan Forensic Pathologist number?”

“Um, there are three of us,” Holly closed her eyes, gently running her hand up and down Gail’s stomach. “I don’t think we have numbers. I’m the newest one though so I guess that makes me number three.”

“I can’t get a ‘3’ tattoo,” Gail moved her hand down Holly’s back until it was just above her ass, “That’s a gang thing.”

“You really don’t have to go get a tattoo,” Holly dropped a kiss on the closest part of Gail to her lips.

Gail felt the feather light kiss on her collar bone and smiled, “Would you get my badge number tattooed on you?”

“Absolutely,” Holly felt a contentment in Gail’s arms that she never felt anywhere else. It was light floating, but being weighed down at the same time. She’d never felt that any of her relationships had any kind of longevity. Even when they broke up that one time, it only took them a week to get back together and she didn’t for one second think that they weren’t going to get back together.

Gail smiled. She ran her hand up Holly’s back, burying it on Holly’s hair. She took a deep breath, “Holly?”

“Yeah?” Holly woke herself out of her content almost-sleep to listen to what Gail had to say.

“Have you ever noticed how soft your hair is?” 

**_Part 2_ **

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks,” Holly fell into the bed next to Gail.

Gail immediately grabbed fistfuls of Holly’s sweatshirt and pulled her closer, “This surveillance detail is almost over.” She was considerably more awake than Holly who had just gotten home from work. Gail had been asleep for almost ten hours when Holly got home.

“I can’t wait,” Holly sighed into Gail’s chest just breaths away from sleep.

Gail kissed Holly’s forehead and hugged her close, “I have to get up.”

Holly groaned in protest. Gail smiled and held Holly a little bit longer before slipping out of bed. Gail went to the bathroom and ran through her usual routine. She thought about her assignment. It wasn’t as terrible as she thought it would be to sit in an unmarked car with Chloe for eight hours a day. Of course she did have to tell Chloe to shut up sometimes, but for the most part it was easy.

Gail went back into the bedroom and turned on the lamp on her nightstand. She ducked down next to the bed to find her boots and when she stood back up, she saw Holly sprawled out across the bed in a deep sleep. She was on her stomach and her sweatshirt was riding up her back. The top of her underwear was the only thing that the low riding blankets exposed.

Gail sat on the bed to put her boots on and turned back to look at Holly. Her hair was everywhere, snaking onto the pillow and down her back….Gail squinted. The thin, baggy sweatshirt was riding up Holly’s back enough to expose something that Gail wasn’t sure was there before. She could make out the bottom of what looked to be a tattoo.

“Holly?” Gail asked as she pushed up Holly’s sweatshirt to reveal a tattoo that wasn’t there that last time Gail had seen Holly naked. Granted it had been a while.  When she saw the entirety of the tattoo, her breath caught in her throat.

“Hmm?” Holly asked, not opening her eyes.

Gail gently ran her fingers over the tattoo, tracing every single digit of her badge number tattooed in the middle of the left side of Holly’s back. It wasn’t large, but it was detailed beautifully. “When did you get this?”

Holly woke herself up enough to feel what Gail was running her fingers over. She pulled her sweatshirt completely off, over her head so that Gail could have an unobstructed view, “A few weeks ago. Do you like it?”

The blonde licked her lips and looked at Holly’s bare back, flawless and marked with Gail’s badge number. It was a number Gail had worked her whole life toward. It was a number that reminded her to strive to be the best. It reminded her to always remember who she was, to work harder than everyone else, and to not screw up.

A thought crossed Gail’s mind that maybe her mom’s advice could work for relationships too. Maybe every time she saw this tattoo on Holly she would remember to know who they were. She would remember that no matter what they did for a living, no matter how much money they made, that didn’t make them who they were. They were Gail and Holly and they were in love and that was what mattered.

Maybe it would remind her that relationships required work. That when she got frustrated it would be okay. It would remind her that sometimes when they got into a comfortable rut to shove them out of the rut with a surprise or two. She had to work to remind Holly that she fell deeper into love with her every day.

And maybe it would remind her not to screw up. When she wanted to close herself off, maybe she would remember that Holly didn’t deserve that. It would remind her not to overreact or snap at Holly because that had hurt them both before.

Gail bend forward and kissed the tattoo. Then she laid a trail of kisses up and down Holly’s spine. She branched away from her spine to kiss both of her shoulders.

“I love you,” Gail pressed her torso again Holly’s back and kissed the back of her neck, “Can I take you to breakfast in the morning?”

Holly turned her head to the side, “Won’t you be tired?”

“Yeah,” Gail kissed Holly’s cheek, “But I want to take you to breakfast. As much as I like seeing you in bed,” Gail ran her hands up the length of Holly’s back, “It would be nice to see you outside of bed, occasionally.”

Holly smiled, sleepily, “Come pick me up after shift.”

“Actually,” Gail moved her hands back down Holly’s back, “You can sleep like this and I’ll bring breakfast home.”

Holly ran her teeth over her bottom lip. She pushed up on her elbows enough so that she could kiss Gail properly without exposing her breasts. Gail’s tongue slipped into her mouth and Holly moaned. Holly broke the kiss with a smile, “You don’t play fair.”

Gail just smiled and kissed Holly again.

This time Gail broke the kiss and Holly laid back down on her stomach, “Deal.”

Gail stayed like she was, laying on top of Holly for a moment before getting out of the bed. As much as she wanted to stay, she had to go to work. As Gail was picking up her coat, she heard Holly call, “I love you.”

Gail smiled to her half-naked girlfriend, half-asleep in the bed. “I love you too.”


	54. Rookie Blue/Arrow Cross Over Part 1 & 2

Gail looked around the small dungeon-esque basement she was tied up in. It was so cold and Gail was so hungry. She had spent at least two days in captivity judging by the light fading and brightening in the tiny window across the basement from her chains.

So far, her captors had not told her what they wanted. They hadn’t let her know their demands or if anyone knew she was gone. It just seemed so random. She was out on patrol, responding to unidentified trouble. Someone took off running and she got separated from Chris. That was pretty much all she remembered.

There was a commotion upstairs that brought Gail out of a shivering stupor. An automatic weapon discharged a few times before there was quiet. A man scrambled down the stairs with a gun pointing up the stairs mumbling something about a demon. He tripped over the last step and tumbled into the wall facing the stairs. He pointed his gun up at the first floor.

Gail flinched when the man opened fire. He kept pulling the trigger until an arrow sailed through the air an embedded itself in between his eyes. Gail looked away and curled farther into the corner. Whoever this was didn’t seem like someone who was friendly with the law. Police officers didn’t use arrows.

Footsteps advanced on her and when they were close, Gail looked up. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but the woman in front of her left her speechless. She was wearing red and black leather armor. There was a long, black cloak waving as she moved and her hood over her head, did little to hide her brown hair. The lower half of her face was concealed by a black veil.

The woman took out a knife and wretched open the chain that was holding Gail to the wall. Then she produced a key and slowly approached Gail. Her voice was soft, “I’m here to help you, Gail.”

“Who are you?” Gail asked skeptically, but let the woman unlock the shackles around her wrists.

The woman let out a small smile, “We shall meet again, but for now,” she let the shackles drop from Gail and helped her to her feet, “You may call me family.”

“Family?” Gail was desperately trying to think straight. It was getting more difficult, the more effort she put into walking up the stairs, even with this woman as a crutch.

When they got to the first floor, a woman with blonde hair and black mask, walked up to Gail and the woman who was helping her. She had a blanket in her hand that she wrapped around Gail. “The police will be here soon.”

“Who are you people?” Gail wavered, but the blonde caught her other side and held her up.

“We’re the League of Assassin’s,” the woman who initially helped Gail, walked her to an old tattered couch. Gail’s captors littered the floor, all impaled with arrows or bloodied. “And we have a mutual friend.”

“She doesn’t know?” the blonde asked the brunette who seemed to be in charge.

The brunette answered in a language Gail didn’t understand. It seemed to be Arabic as far as she could tell.

“It’s probably best that you don’t tell anyone about us,” Sara sat Gail down on the couch. Sirens sounded in the background and shadows seemed to move around the room that Gail couldn’t quite make out. “It does sound kind of crazy.”

“Until we meet again,” the brunette smiled and followed the blonde out of Gail’s sight. Gail leaned back on the couch barely able to maintain consciousness. As the door burst open, she couldn’t hold on any longer and passed out.

When she woke up, Gail was in a hospital bed. She slowly looked around and found that the only other person in the room was curled up in an uncomfortable looking wooden chair. Holly looked like she was nodding off. She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair. She pushed her glasses up on top of her head. She was about to rest her head on the back of the chair when she saw Gail looking at her.

A smile spread across Holly’s face when she saw Gail was awake. She stood up and moved to the hospital bed. Holly sat next to Gail and took her hand, “You’re awake.”

Gail licked her lips and nodded. She felt so much better. She was warm and rested. She turned her hand over so that she could hold Holly’s hand. “How long was I out?”

Holly looked at the clock on the wall, “Going on twenty hours.” She took a deep breath, “But you’re okay.”

Gail pushed back against her pillow before sitting up. “Was I- conscious when I came in? I think I had a weird dream.”

Holly looked at the doorway and sighed. “I think I can explain why you think you saw a woman in antiquated clothes, using a bow and arrows, inside that house.”

Gail sat up straighter, “You know about her? Did the other officers get her?”

“No,” Holly shook her head, “And they won’t. You’re the only one that saw them and they’re virtually untraceable. Even with all the arrows they left around, no one will be able to find them.” Holly pulled her legs up on the bed. She looked down and ran her teeth over her bottom lip, “I have something to tell you and it’s going to sound unbelievable.”

“The lady Robin Hood just saved my life,” Gail looked at the door, thinking that she saw her again. But when her eyes adjusted, no one was looking in the window in the door. “Not much is going to be unbelievable.”

Holly took a deep breath, “I guess I should start with my family. I did enter foster care as a child, but I was thirteen. I entered foster care for my own protection. I have an…overly ambitious sister who, after attempting to kill my oldest sister, tried to kill me.”

Gail’s eyes grew wide, “Why?”

“My father,” Holly swallowed. It had been so long that she talked about it that it felt like she was talking about someone else. “My father is not a…not someone you would consider to be a good person. My father is the leader of an organization called The League of Assassins. Although his goals are noble, his means are nefarious. My sisters followed him into the family business, but I was kinda of a nerd. I just wanted to read books and go to school.” Holly could tell that it was getting harder and harder for Gail to follow. She paused for a moment before Gail nodded to her, urging her forward. Holly opened her mouth but the door opened.

A doctor walked in, happy to see Gail awake. The doctor checked Gail over then asked if she was up for visitors because there was a large group of people in the waiting room for her. Gail looked over at Holly who had moved to the window. She stood to the side of it and looked out, like she didn’t want someone to see her. Gail told the doctor that she needed a few more minutes to just get together. The doctor understood and said she would tell the group outside.

Once the doctor was gone, Gail asked, “The woman with the bow is your sister.”

Holly nodded slowly. Her arms were crossed as she walked closer to the bed. She leaned on the foot of the bed, “Her name is Nyssa. Nyssa Al Ghul. She’s the rightful Heir to my father’s assassin throne. Talia is the middle sister and she tried to kill me and Nyssa. Nyssa fought her off and protected me. Foster care was her idea. My father believes that I’m dead and as long as Talia is alive, staying dead is my best bet.”

Gail took in her words and moved her bed into an upright position. She leaned back on it, “What else don’t I know about you?”

“I speak Arabic,” Holly shrugged. “I was born in Russia. Other than that, everything else you know about me is true. I got out of foster care at sixteen and went to school. I couldn’t do anything high profile because Talia would find me. My sisters are very resourceful.”

“This sounds insane,” Gail ran a hand over her head, “Why is Nyssa here?”

Holly moved around the foot of the bed and sat down, “I called her. I haven’t spoken to her in years, but I knew that I had to call her. You had been missing for three days. There were no leads. Nyssa has resources all over the world that the police department could only dream of.” Holly reached for Gail’s hand, but stopped herself. She retracted her hand and pulled her glasses off the top of her head. She put them on and looked down, “I understand if this is too much to handle right now or ever…” Holly took a deep breath, “My life is so normal, sometimes I forget that it was real. But if you never want to see me again, I’d understand.”

Gail frowned. She was quiet for a long while before she asked, “Why would you think that? You risked your life to save me.”

“Honesty is important to you,” Holly tried to keep her voice steady, “One of the most important things and I’ve been hiding something huge.”

Gail leaned back, “There was a reason. A good reason.”

A knock on the door sounded before the door opened. Gail sighed, knowing that when the other officers came in, she wouldn’t get to talk to Holly about this again for a while and she had so many questions.

However, the women that walked in definitely weren’t on the police force. They were dressed normally, both in jeans, but the brunette was wearing a dark red wool coat and the blonde had on a leather jacket and a baseball cap. Gail recognized both women immediately. Holly stood up and walked to the brunette. She whispered her sister’s name, “Nyssa.”

Nyssa whispered something in Arabic and pulled away to look her sister over. She smiled, “You look well.”

“So do you,” Holly smiled back.

While they greeted each other, the blonde moved to Gail. She extended her hand, “I’m Sara.”

“Gail,” Gail confusedly shook Sara’s hand. “Why are you here?”

“Nyssa’s my girlfriend so Holly’s practically family even though we’ve never met,” Sara shrugged. She put her hands in her pockets, “And you’re a cop. My dad’s a cop so whenever I hear there’s one in trouble, I always try to help.”

Holly walked to the bed with her sister close behind, “Gail this is Nyssa. Nyssa, Gail.”

Nyssa nodded to Gail. “It’s so good to finally meet you.” Nyssa introduced Holly and Sara. They hugged and exchanged an Arabic greeting. Gail felt that Arabic coming out of Holly’s mouth was so odd.

Gail ran her hands over her face. “This is so weird.”

“I know,” Holly put her hand on Gail’s shoulder, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Gail shook her head. She looked at the other two women, “It’s just going to take a while to process.”

“That is understandable,” Nyssa nodded. She turned to Holly, “Your friends are waiting outside and we’ll take out leave before they come in.”

Tears formed in Holly’s eyes. “Please tell me that you’re going to be in town for a while.”

Nyssa pulled Holly into her arms, “Of course, Little Sister. We will wait in your apartment for you to return.”

Holly smiled contently, “Do you need a key?” When she saw Nyssa smile she laughed softly, “Of course not.”

Nyssa kissed Holly’s forehead, “Stay well, Little One.”

Holly smiled, “I’m not little anymore.”

“You still are to me,” Nyssa smiled. She looked to Gail, “I hope you feel well soon.”

“It was nice to meet you, Officer,” Sara waved to Gail before she and Nyssa slipped out the door.

Gail moved to the end of the bed and picked up the clipboard that had a list of her medications. Holly looked at her, “What are you doing?”

“Checking to see if mushrooms are part of my treatment,” Gail looked over the chart and found she wasn’t on any kind of medication at all.

Holly smiled and took the clipboard, “It’s a lot to take in.” She moved to the bed and sat down next to Gail, “But we’ll all talk everything out and Nyssa can fill in some blanks when we get home.”

Gail nodded and leaned back into her pillow, “Yeah.” She opened her arms. “C’mere.”

Holly laid back against the inclined bed with Gail. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“I’m glad you’re okay too,” Gail smiled, “Even though I didn’t know I should be worried about you.”

“You don’t have to be worried,” Holly kissed her cheek, “At least not right now. Nyssa is here and I’m sure she has someone watching over us. I’m safe. You’re safe.”

Gail looked at the door when there was another knock. She saw Steve and Andy’s face in the window. She smile and rubbed Holly’s back, “I guess it’s time for my family now.”

**_Part 2_ **

Nyssa was standing in the parking garage when Holly pulled in. She immediately went to the car and asked if there was anything she could do. “Um, get the bag in the back seat,” Holly hugged her sister before she could make a move for the bag because she was scared that there wasn’t going to be many more changed to hug her before she disappeared again.

Nyssa squeezed Holly, then released her to grab the bag. Holly rushed to Gail’s side of the car to help her out.

“Sara’s making tea,” Nyssa walked behind her sister and Gail up the stairs to the apartment.

“Why is your apartment so high?” Gail whined as they hit the landing to Holly’s floor.

Holly smiled and put her arm around Gail, “I’m sorry.”

When they got inside, Sara was in the kitchen pouring some tea. The living room furniture had been moved around so that all the furniture faced the coffee table and there was a long piece of silk hanging from the top railing of the stairs.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Nyssa placed her hand on her sister’s back, “We made ourselves at home.”

“Of course not,” Holly answered.

“Tea?” Sara asked.

Holly looked at Gail who nodded. Gail went straight to the couch and sat down. Holly relayed the message to Sara. Nyssa walked to the living area as well and sat in the armchair across the coffee table from Gail.

Sara brought a tray of tea into the living room. She passed out the cups and then perched on the arm of Nyssa’s armchair with her tea. Nyssa sat regally in her chair and Holly leaned into Gail on the couch.

“Is there any reason for Talia to know that Holly is here?” Gail asked immediately once everyone was seated. Her gaze was hard and directed at Nyssa.

Nyssa’s chest expanded with a thoughtful breath. She met Gail’s eyes, “No. Sara is the only one that I told where we were going and why. I trust Sara implicitly.” Nyssa looked up and caught smile Sara threw her way. Nyssa patted Sara’s knee and looked back at Gail who was still in no mood to smile. “We used false identities to come into the country. However there have been rumblings throughout the League as to my sudden disappearance, but so far none of it points to Holly. The members of the League who know about our youngest sister, believe that she is dead.”

Gail looked down at Holly who was staring thoughtfully into her tea. Gail put her arm around Holly to comfort her as much as she could. Gail looked back at Nyssa. “If Talia finds out she’s still alive, will you know?”

“Almost immediately,” Nyssa nodded. “I keep a team close by who can mobilize at a moment’s notice. They don’t know why they’re here, but once they understand that Holly is alive, they’ll give their lives to save their princess.”

 “Their princess,” Gail breathed out.

“I have friends in California,” Sara added, “They can be here in a few hours too.”

Gail nodded slowly and then swallowed. “What about your dad? What happens if he finds out?”

Nyssa clenched her jaw for a brief moment, “Our Father wishes no ill will toward Holly. He will most likely want her to come back to Nanda Parbat with us.”

“I’m not going back,” Holly stated firmly. She looked at her sister, “This is my home now and I have no place there.”

“I understand and I will stand by your decision,” Nyssa smiled fondly at her sister, “You have done well for yourself, Little One. You’re an expert in your field and I could not be more proud of you.”

Holly smiled, still awed at her big sister’s pride in her. “Thank you.”

“Happiness in this lifetime is hard to find,” Nyssa told her sister, “It is even harder to maintain. You must hold onto it while you have it.”

Gail paused before asking another question, “Why here? Why did you drop Holly off here?”

Nyssa looked to her sister because she owed Holly that explanation as well, “The League has no ties to this country. The team I have waiting near here is in the States. If there are no members of the League around, no one could inform Talia of your whereabouts.”

“I thought you said that the League would protect Holly,” Gail called Nyssa out. “She’s their princess or whatever. If they know Talia is trying to kill her, why would they say anything?”

“Like all large organization, there are traitors,” Nyssa narrowed her eyes at Gail, “I do not delude myself into thinking that the League of Assassins, my Father’s League, and my legacy is without its flaws. There are still dissenters who believe in Talia’s greed.” Nyssa spoke with conviction. “I have done everything to protect my sister. I have looked after Holly her entire life even though she can’t know it,” Nyssa rose to her feet, “I do not appreciate the accusation that I would put Holly in danger when she is the only sister I have left.”

Sara hopped to her feet and put her hand on Nyssa’s shoulder. Holly was about to stand up as well when Sara coaxed Nyssa into calming down. Nyssa took a deep breath and clenched her jaw, “Excuse me for a moment.” Nyssa walked away and disappeared up the stairs.

Sara took Nyssa’s place in the armchair. Sara looked over the couple that was still pressed together on the couch. “Nyssa tells me everything,” Sara leaned forward with her forearms on her knees, “But she never told me about you.”

“Then she doesn’t tell you everything,” Gail snapped. She didn’t like being scolded by anyone, even Holly’s long lost sister.

Sara smiled softly, “You’re right.” Sara leaned back in the chair, “I’ve been with Nyssa for a few years on and off and back on again,” Sara directed her attention to Holly, “We have faced down guerilla armies and wild beasts. We’ve gone up against the most skilled fighters in the world and I have never seen her more terrified than when she realized who was on the phone when you called. She thought Talia had found you.”

“I can’t believe that number still worked,” Holly replied.

“She’s always kept that phone on her everywhere,” Sara shrugged. “Every time she got a new phone, she made sure to keep that number. No matter what happened, she had the phone. I thought it was her direct line to Ra’s.”

Holly looked down at the coffee table. She drug her eyes up to Sara, “Have you met him?”

Sara nodded. “Nyssa is his second in command.” She smiled proudly, “They’re pretty close although they have different visions for how to bring balance to the world.”

“Is he…well?” Holly asked.

“As well as one can after one believes his middle child has killed his baby girl,” Nyssa interrupted as she descended the stairs. Nyssa made her way back to the living room and sat on the arm of the chair Sara was occupying. “Do you wish to see him?”

Tears leapt to Holly’s eyes. “I could?”

“If you wish,” Nyssa stated. “I am confident that should Talia find out, I could defend you.”

“You’d get hurt,” Holly shook her head, “I couldn’t do that.”

“She wouldn’t be fighting alone,” Sara added. She took Nyssa’s hand and looked at Holly, “I was away from my family for six years. I can’t imagine being away from my sister for sixteen years.”

“What about my life here?” Holly asked, feeling Gail’s grip on her tighten.

Nyssa smiled gently, “There is no reason why anyone, but Gail should know your true identity, Holly Al Ghul.”

Holly looked at Gail. “Are you still okay with all of this?”

Gail touched Holly’s face. “This is weird. This is weird and crazy and no one would ever believe me if I told them,” she smiled and got Holly to smile as well. Then she added sincerely, “but your family is important to you. I will do whatever you want me to do as long as you’re safe and happy.” Gail looked at Nyssa and pointedly added, “Very safe.”

“I swear on my name and my life that Holly will remain safe,” Nyssa promised Gail and then moved her eyes to Holly to make sure that Holly knew as well. “I love you, Little One.” She smiled adoringly at her sister, “I’m so sorry that I missed you growing up.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Holly sat up out of Gail’s arms. She stood and started making her way around the coffee table. Nyssa met her in the middle and enveloped her sister.

“I did know everything that was going on,” Nyssa confessed, “And I am so proud of you.”

Holly buried her face in her sister’s shoulder, feeling like she was thirteen again and Nyssa was trying to explain that this was the only safe way she could grow up. This was the only way that she was going to have the normal life that she always wanted. She could feel the freezing wind on her face as they stood outside of the foster home she was to join. It was the first of many.

“You’re a stronger woman than I could have ever hoped,” Nyssa whispered again Holly’s head and kissed the crown of her head.

Tears fell from Holly’s eyes onto Nyssa’s shirt. It felt so right to hug her sister. The sister she dreamed about an loved even though she never saw her. At such a young age, Nyssa protected her. Sometimes she would imagine that Nyssa was watching her from the rooftops of adjacent building. Holly had missed her sister so much and now she had her and everything felt right.


	55. Gail has to arrest Lisa for drunk driving, Lisa tries to call Holly for help

Gail sighed as she walked up to the driver’s side of the car. She didn’t mind behind a cop most of the time. She liked the work and she liked the night shift, but traffic stops were not her favorite. Especially traffic stops at three in the morning for suspected DUI.

The window rolled down and Gail saw a aggravatingly familiar face.

Lisa was the first one to roll her eyes, “Fantastic.” The only thing that Gail could smell was alcohol when Lisa spoke.

Gail looked across the roof of the car at Dov. Gail put her hands on her duty belt, “Grab your license and Please step out of the car ma’am.”

The door opened and Lisa waivered as she got out, “C’mon, Gail. Can’t you just let me go?”

“You two know each other?” Dov asked.

Gail leaned all of her weight on one leg, and ignored Dov’s question, “How much have you had to drink tonight?”

“Just a couple drinks after work,” Lisa shrugged, “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

Dov looked the woman over and then shared a look of disbelief at Gail. “Officer Epstein,” Gail told Lisa, “will administer a field sobriety test while I run your license.”

Lisa handed Gail her license and turned to Dov. Gail walked back to the squad car and ran Lisa’s license. Unsurprisingly, she’d been taking in for DUI once before, but was never formally charged.

When Gail was done, checking for warrants, Dov was putting Lisa in handcuffs. Gail called a tow truck and they only had to sit on the side of the road for ten minutes.

When they got back to 15 Division, Lisa made a strategic move. Instead of calling an attorney, she called someone else.

Gail was at her desk, filling out paperwork when Holly came running into the station. She stopped inside the front door and looked frantically around.

She might not have been speaking to Holly, but that look on Holly’s face made Gail sympathetic. Gail got up from her desk and moved toward the door. Holly spotted Gail moving and quickly walked over to her, looking her over. Holly looked over her face and when she got within earshot, Holly asked, “Are you okay?”

Gail looked bewildered, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Lisa just called me and told me that I needed to get to 15 as fast as I could,” Holly ran a hand through her hair. It was obvious that she had jumped straight out of bed, threw on some clothes, and drove straight over. “I thought something happened to you.”

“Dov arrested Lisa for DUI,” Gail looked over her shoulder. “I’m fine.”

“Oh,” the panic on Holly’s face fell. She suddenly looked really tired.

“You woke up in the middle of the night and got here in like five minutes because you thought I was hurt?” Gail asked, skeptically.

Holly nodded, “Of course.” She slipped her fingers under her glasses and rubbed her eyes. “Regardless of however you feel about me, I still care about you.” Holly looked around, “Where is she?”

“Holding,” Gail answered. She started walking and Holly followed her. Gail stood at the door and let Holly walk in alone. Gail stepped around the corner and waited outside.

“You kidding me?” were the first words out of Holly’s mouth.

“C’mon,” Lisa pleaded, “Jus talk to Gail. Get her to let me go.”

“Why would I do that?” Holly asked back.

“Because we’re friends!” Lisa raised her voice.

Holly was quiet and Gail was about to step in when Holly’s voice shot out in a low rumble, “We’re  _barely_ friends. You’re trying to use me and you are the reason that the only woman that I’ve really  _loved_  in _years_  isn’t speaking to me because you couldn’t keep your privileged mouth shut.” Holly paused against, “For Christ’s sake, Lisa you were drunk driving! You could kill someone!”

“I’m fine!” Lisa yelled back.

Gail heard Holly sigh. Holly inhaled softly, “I can call your attorney. That’s the most I can do.”

“Holly,” Lisa pled, on the verge of tears.

Gail was listening for the Holly’s answer when Holly walked out of the holding area. Holly jumped when she saw Gail out of the corner of her eye. The rims of Holly’s eyes were red like she was holding back tears.

“What do you want me to do?” Gail breathed out, knowing that she just got caught listening.

Holly shook her head and her eyes dropped, “It’s not my decision or my business. I’m going to call her attorney when I get home, but I don’t want anything to do with this.”

Gail swallowed and saw Holly about to walk away. She followed Holly a few stepped and then pulled her into an interview room. Holly went limply and stood close to the door.

Gail walked around the table and stood across from Holly, “Did you mean what you said?”

Holly knew what Gail was talking about, but asked anyway, “About you?”

Gail silently nodded and crossed her arms, not sure she was ready for either answer.

“Yeah,” Holly nodded. She shook her head, “It’s – I messed up though and I get that. You don’t have to say anything.” Holly  scooted closer to the door. “I’m just going to go now.” Holly turned around to leave.

“Wait,” Gail moved around the table to stand close to Holly. “I might have – I did. I messed up too.” Gail licked her lips, hoping against all hope that Holly was open to her words. “I’m sorry. It’s been a really hard couple of weeks and I…I need – I want you back.”

Holly inhaled and exhaled trying to keep her emotions under control. She bit her lip, “Are you sure?”

Gail nodded. “I miss you.” Tears filled Gail’s eyes, “I miss being able to talk to you because….everything feels like it’s out of control right now.”

Holly moved into Gail, wrapping her arms around her. “It’s okay. We’re okay. You can talk to me anytime.”

Gail pressed her face into the shoulder of Holly’s coat. She had to hold it together because she was still at work. She sniffled and fought off tears. After a moment of just holding Holly, she stepped away, “Can I come over after shift?”

“Of course,” Holly nodded. She placed a chaste kiss on Gail’s lips. “Just come in.”

“Thank you,” Gail breathed out.

Holly cracked a smile in hopes that Gail would as well. She was rewarded with a warm smile from Gail. Holly held Gail’s eyes for a moment, “Be safe, okay?”

Gail nodded, “Okay.”

Holly opened the door, breaking them out of their world and shoving them back into the real world. Gail felt more prepared to take on the real world than ever because she had Holly back. She had someone else to lean on when the world felt like it was crashing down around her.


	56. a month after holly dies and how gail is handling it

Gail walked around the apartment for a moment like an animal circling a bed. She laid down on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. 

The front door opened and Gail smiled. She partially sat up so that only her eyes were peeking over the back of the couch. When she saw Holly walk in, reading their mail, she smiled wider.

"Hey noob," Gail called.

Holly immediately dropped her arms and tilted her head, “Gail, that was over a month ago.”

"It is still hilarious," Gail laughed and stood up. She walked over to Holly and hugged her, "I love you, but you are terrible at video games."

"I know. I told you that," Holly reluctantly hugged Gail back.

There was quiet before Gail whispered, “It took you twelve seconds to blow yourself up.”

"Gail!" 


	57. Gail. Holly. Breaking in something new.

“I thought we were going to get to break in the shoes,” Holly pouted and leaned on the wall of their stall.

Gail put the yellow tinted glasses on Holly and smiled, “We can do that later.” She was on a high after busting a massive heroin trafficking line. She and Holly had spent three hours shoe shopping before Gail bought a new handgun and bought Holly a taser.

Holly put her ear protection on. It was pink because Gail got to pick it out. Holly took a step back and watched Gail pressed the button, sending the paper torso to the end of the shooting range. Gail turned the safety off and pointed her gun down range.

Holly smiled, watching Gail fire her new gun. It wasn’t something she was too terribly comfortable around, but Gail loved it so Holly didn’t mind following her around and watching her be happy. That was the same reason that she put up with all the scimitars, nunchuks, and bows Gail kept bringing home after a big arrest. Gail loved all that stuff and Holly loved nothing more than to watch Gail be happy.

“Hey,” Gail dropped the empty magazine out of the gun and flicked the safety on as her utterly pulverized target came back.

Holly took off her ear protection, “Hmm?”

“Wanna see something cool?” Gail asked putting up a new target and sent it back out.

“Sure,” Holly smiled at Gail’s giddiness.

Gail put a new magazine in her gun and pointed her gun down range, “Press that yellow button.”

Holly looked next to herself and saw a yellow button what was labeled ‘Stress Test’. Holly recognized Oliver’s handwriting. She put her ear protection back on and pressed the button. The halogen lights went down an yellow strobing lights came on, accompanied by a siren.

Even though it was loud and distracting, Holly could make out Gail laughing like a maniac while she was piercing the target down the range with ease.

Holly smiled to herself. Yeah, she loved that maniacal dork.   


	58. Gail and Holly's Bachelorette party.

“Where’d Holly go?” Andy looked around the club. “She’s missing her own bachelorette party.”

“I think she just went to the bathroom,” Chloe grinned. She bounced up and down with the beat of the music, “I need more lesbian friends. Two bachelorette parties is the best!”

Traci laughed, “I still can’t believe that Gail agreed to get married.”

“Have you met Holly?” Chloe beam, “Holly’s awesome.” She took another shot of some blue liquid. She signaled the bartender for another one.

Andy quirked an eyebrow, “How many of those have you had?”

“I lot,” Chloe grinned, “But I’m fine. I just wanna dance.” Chloe looked around and then bounced into the crowd at the club.

Holly walked down the hallway of the club toward the bathroom. Her phone buzzed in her hand. It was a text from Andy asking if she was okay. Holly quickly texted back that there was a long line for the bathroom. Holly walked past both bathrooms to the emergency exit of the club.

Holly took a deep breath and opened the door, just like promised, there was no alarm. The second the door was open, Holly smiled.

“What took you so long?” Gail asked, advancing on Holly.

Holly gracefully leapt up as Gail moved into her and wrapped her leg around Gail’s waist as Gail pinned her against the wall of the club’s hallway. “It’s hard to get away.” Holly put both of her hands on Gail’s face, pausing before their lips met, “It’s my bachelorette party.” She kiss Gail and grinned, pulling back, “We’re not supposed to see each other until the wedding.”

“That’s stupid,” Gail pushed Holly a little farther up the wall. She kissed Holly’s neck since, Holly seemed to want to talk.

Holly closed her eyes, “Mmm, are we really going to do this here?”

“Can you sneak out tonight?” Gail looked up at Holly with a smile.

Holly laughed, “It sounds like we’re teenagers, sneaking around.”

Gail set Holly onto her feet and kissed her, “Come to my hotel room at eleven.” She kissed Holly deeply and leaned into her, resuming their teenage makeout session in the hallway of the club.

Finally, Andy’s texts got so persistent that Holly had to go. She kissed Gail again and smiled as Gail adjusted her jacket. “I’ll see you later tonight.”

Gail smiled. She took Holly in. Holly was wearing a tight cocktail dress and heels. Gail knew this wasn’t really Holly’s idea of a bachelorette party, but Holly was happy to humor her friends. “You look hot.”

“Thanks,” Holly blushed slightly and moved her hand to her face to adjust her glasses that weren’t there tonight.

Gail looked down and tried to hide a smile. Then she shook her head, “You’re an idiot, you know.”

“Oh?” Holly quirked an eyebrow.

“Why else would you marry me?” Gail stole one last kiss on her way out the door.  


	59. Engagement party imminent, Holly has been acting weirder than normal.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Distant, disappearing in the middle of the night, supposedly for work but Gail knows for a fact that this is not true. Gail goes all stalkery on her ass to see what she has been up to.

So maybe it was technically –  _technically_  – against the rules to  _borrow_ one of the department’s cameras. But it was driving Gail crazy. Holly kept getting phone calls in the middle of the night and leaving. Holly said it was for work, but no homicides coincided with when Holly left two of the past three times. Their engagement party was the next day and Holly had left again.

The thought that Holly was doing something nefarious terrified Gail. Holly had been the only person in Gail’s life that she felt like she could be herself completely. She opened up to Holly in ways that she’d never opened up to anyone. She asked Holly to marry her because she couldn’t see a future without her. Now Holly was sneaking off at all hours and it was driving Gail crazy.

Gail borrowed Chris’s truck and kept it parked down the street. When Holly left, Gail followed her. Gail kept her eyes on Holly’s car as they made their way downtown.

Gail lifted up the camera so that she could see Holly get out of her car. They were on a street filled with bars and restaurants. Holly bent over in the car to retrieve her bag and stood up quickly like someone called her name. Holly looked around and then let out a smile.

Gail frowned and used the camera to scan the sidewalks. She just saw a lot of people until she recognized someone.

Steve walked over to Holly and enveloped her in a hug. They both smiled and Steve gestured to the front door of a bar. He and Holly disappeared inside of the bar.

Gail picked up her phone. She called Traci who answered, “Nash.”

Gail head a lot of noise on Traci’s side of the line, “Hey, is Steve with you?”

“Uh, yeah,” Traci answered, “Is he not answering his phone?”

“Can I talk to him?” Gail asked, not answering Traci’s question. She had a theory that Traci was covering for Steve.

“Sure,” Traci answered. Her voice got further away when she said, “Steve, it’s Gail.”

“Hey,” Steve picked up the phone.

Gail immediately hung up. There went her theory. She leaned back in her seat and shook her head. Nothing was really making sense. Apparently Holly wasn’t screwing around on her unless it was with both Steve and Traci. Gail took a deep breath. She could either go into the bar and see what was happening or let things play out.

Of course, since she was Gail Peck, there was only one choice. Gail got out of the truck and walked down the street toward the bar. She slipped inside. It was fairly full so picking the trio out of the crowd took a moment, but Gail managed to sit at the bar without any of them seeing her.

There were papers all over the tables and folders stacked on the side. Gail ordered a scotch and watched Holly talk with Steve and Traci. Traci occasionally took notes and Steve would crack a joke occasionally.

Gail was completely surprised when Andy walked in. Holly stood up to hug her. Andy smiled and pulled a box out of her pocket. She handed it to Holly who put it in her bag.

Andy sat down and ordered a drink. Holly pulled something out from under all the papers. It was a completely separate folder from the ones she was talking to Steve and Traci about. Andy flipped through it with wide eyes and pointed out a few things on the inside. Holly smiled and nodded.

Gail had seen enough. She left her half empty scotch on the bar and left. Holly wasn’t doing anything terrible. She just wished that Holly would tell her when she wanted to have drinks with her friends.

Gail went home and got into bed. An hour and a half later, Holly joined her. Holly put her arms around Gail and kissed the back of her neck, “I love you.”

Gail was pretending to sleep so she didn’t answer.

The next day, Gail was trying to hold on to being mad at Holly, but it was hard. Holly looked so delicious in her cocktail dress and strappy heels. They hadn’t seen each other all day either so that was part of why she didn’t say anything.

“Hey,” Holly looked over at Gail after she parked in the parking lot of the venue that Gail’s mother insisted on them having their engagement party in. There were white shirt uniforms walking past their car to go into the venue. Most of them Gail knew, but Gail wasn’t in charge of the invitations.

When Gail looked at her, Holly furrowed her brow, “What’s wrong?”

Gail shook her head quietly. She muttered, “Nothing.”

Holly quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head, “Gail.”

“I get that sometimes you wanna go have drinks with our friends without me,” Gail spilled. “I just wished that you’d tell me.”

Holly took a moment to let what Gail said sink in. Then Holly pointed accusatorily at Gail, “I knew that was you. Andy told me that I was crazy, but I knew it.” Holly looked at Gail, trying to figure out if she was mad or impressed.

Holly reached Gail’s seat grabbed her bag. She set it in her lap and opened it. She extracted the folders that Gail saw her talking with Steve and Traci over and handed them to Gail.

It only took Gail a few seconds to realize that they were actually morgue files. “Why were you working with Traci and Steve so late?”

“Because Traci wanted to wait until Leo was asleep,” Holly answered. “I have to meet with her outside of work so that I can catch completely up and justify taking a week off of work.”

“Why are you going to take a week off?” Gail handed the files back.

Holly took out the folder that she showed Andy and gave it to Gail, “Surprise.”

Gail opened the folder and immediately saw two plane tickets. It was a folder from a travel agent. Gail flipped through the brochures and reservation confirmations, “Costa Rica?”

“I already talked to Oliver,” Holly sighed, disappointed that the surprise wasn’t under nicer circumstances. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”

Gail felt all the air being sucked out of her chest. She put her hand over her mouth, “I’m – oh god Holly, I’m so sorry.”

Holly shrugged, “I’m not that good at sneaking around. I should have known you’d find out.”

Gail closed the travel folder. She thought it over and there was really nothing that she could say to justify her apparently lack of faith in Holly’s fidelity. “I’m so sorry.”

Holly let out a smile, “It looked suspicious. I take it that was Chris’s truck that I saw parked at the end of our street on my way to work this morning.”

“I’m such an idiot,” Gail hung her head and handed the Costa Rica folder back to Holly, “I totally understand if you want to take McNally with you.”

“Well your name is already on the ticket,” Holly smiled softly. She took Gail’s left hand and kissed her ring finger, “It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” Gail looked over at Holly, “I really do trust you. I just got crazy and…”

“You created an emergency to get out of the tree,” Holly offered lightly.

Gail smiled at the reference, “Yeah.”

“Still want to get out of the tree?” Holly asked looking over at Gail. It was a serious question, wrapped up in a silly metaphor.

Gail didn’t hesitate. “No. Of course not. I love you. No matter how crazy I get, I love you and I want to marry you.”

Holly grinned, “Good.” She reached into the bag and pulled out the box Andy gave her at the bar. “I suppose you saw this too.” She handed it to Gail.

Gail opened the box and her breath caught in her throat. She always thought it was stupid when people made such a big deal out of rings until she picked out Holly’s and even then she never understood why people got so worked up over the ones they were given. It was just pretty rocks in a piece of metal. But when Gail saw the diamonds set in the shiny platinum ring, Gail understood. She looked over at Holly who was watching her reaction with glee.

“What is this?” Gail asked.

“I thought it was only fair that you got an engagement ring too,” Holly looked at the one on her left hand. She took the ring from Gail who seemed frozen and slipped the ring onto Gail’s finger. It was a perfect fit.

Gail nearly jumped across the car and kiss Holly hard. Holly smiled into the kiss. She felt Gail’s hand bury itself into her hair.

A knock on the window interrupted them. Gail and Holly both looked at the driver’s side window and saw Elaine Peck looking in at them. She gestured to the venue and rolled her eyes as she stood up.

“We’re late,” Holly grinned.

“We’re going to be later,” Gail pulled Holly back into a kiss.


	60. Gail and Holly are secretly married.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the only reason that 15 Division finds out is because Chloe comes across health insurance froms (or something similar) that Gail has been filling out (to update her marital status), and is just so excited she blurts it out to everyone around her just as Gail and Holly walk back into the station.

Chloe looked at the sheet of paper on the desk and then turned to the keyboard, “Name. Dov Epstein.” She read off of the sheet. “Emergency contact,” she smiled and started typing, “Chloe Price. Relationship to Officer,” Chloe peeked at the paper and typed, “Significant Other.”

 She quickly typed in all her information and moved on to the next form. “Name. Gail Peck.” Chloe kept reading while she typed without really looking at the screen, “Emergency Contact. Holly Stewart. Relationship to Officer: Spouse.” After she said it out loud, her fingers kind of spazzed out on the keyboard and she stood up, picking up the paper.

Chloe barged into Oliver’s officer while he was mid-bite of his sandwich, “Did you know that Gail and Holly got married?”

Oliver frowned, “What?”

Chloe presented Oliver with Gail’s emergency contact form. Oliver looked it over and then looked out of his glass wall into the officer desk area. He stood up and opened the door, “Diaz! Get in here.”

Chris quickly made his way to Oliver’s office, “What’s up?”

“Did you know Gail and Holly got married?” Oliver asked.

Chris looked confused, “No. I don’t…she just moved in with Holly.” He smiled, “I finally got my old bedroom back.”

Oliver walked back to his desk and did a quick search. Sure enough there was a marriage license that said Gail Peck and Holly Stewart got married over a month ago.

Oliver sat back in his chair, “They can’t get away with this.”

“Get away with it?” Chloe asked.

“We had drinks last week,” Oliver muttered to himself. “Alright,” he leaned forward and looked at the two officers, “Here’s what we’re going to do.”

Gail was tired after shift. She just wanted to go home and watch TV with Holly. She changed in the locker room and then grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. As she walked out, she got a text. Oliver said that there was a mandatory after work drink for everyone that just got off of shift. Gail rolled her eyes. Oliver’s power was starting to go to his head.

“Need a ride?” Chris asked Gail as she walked out of the locker room.

“You know that he can’t do this right?” Gail asked, “I’m off shift. He’s not my boss anymore.”

Chris smiled, “C’mon Gail. You haven’t been out with us in a while. You can invite Holly.”

“Fine,” Gail huffed and looked at her phone. She sent a text to Holly telling her to meet her at The Penny. Holly quickly replied that she’d be there in twenty minutes.

“Hold on,” Chris stopped Gail from going into The Penny.

“What?” Gail asked.

Chris looked down the street, “Where’s Holly?”

“I don’t know,” Gail shrugged, “She’ll be here soon.”

“We should wait for her,” Chris moved in front of the door.

Gail narrowed her eyes at Chris, “Christopher. What’s going on?”

He shook his head, “No- nothing. What would there be anything going on? I just – Hey Holly!” Chris waved, relieved that she showed up when she did.

Holly smiled and waved back as she stepped up on the sidewalk. She slid into place next to Gail. Gail put her arm around Holly and kissed her, “Chris is broken.”

“Oh?” Holly asked, looking at Chris.

“I’m fine,” Chris smiled and opened the door, “Ladies first.”

Gail and Holly walked into the Penny and found everyone was looking at them and wearing party hats. Oliver blew his paper horn and walked up go Gail and Holly. Everyone yelled, “Congratulations!” Oliver put a veil that was attached to a cheap headband on Holly’s head, then one on Gail’s.

Chloe presented them both with a glass of champagne. “For the brides.”

Holly looked at Gail, amused and confused.

Gail shook her head, “I think they’re all broken.”

“This is what you get when you don’t tell me you got married,” Oliver put  _Bride_  sashes on both women and then turned to all the officers in the bar and called, “Bachelorette party!”


	61. Holly gets Lasik. Gail is not impressed.

"What the hell is this?" Gail slapped the brochure on the kitchen counter in front of Holly. 

Holly was in the middle of a bite of her cereal when Gail barged in. Holly pushed up her glasses and looked down at the counter, “It’s a brochure for Lasik.”

"You can’t do that," Gail gestured to Holly’s face, "It would take away from your whole sexy librarian thing going on."

Holly grinned, “That’s not for me.”

"What?" Gail asked.

"Traci asked my opinion as a doctor for Lasik for her mom," Holly set her cereal down, "But your concern for my glasses is touching. And your snooping through my bag is troubling."

"I wasn’t snooping," Gail huffed, "I was looking for my headphones."

"They’re in the nightstand," Holly took a bite of her cereal and scratched her head. "Why do you need them?"

"I’m going running," Gail walked toward the stairs. 

Holly almost choked on her cereal, “I’m sorry. You’re what?”

"I’m going running," Gail called down the stairs. 

Holly abandoned her breakfast and walked up the stairs, “Really? Can I watch?”

"What?" Gail appeared at the top of the stairs."Why you perv?"

"From what I’ve heard this is like Halley’s Comet," Holly smiled, "I don’t want to miss it."


	62. Gail got shot in the vest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gail got shot in the vest and she got winded and thought she's okay at first but then she had such trouble breathing and was in such pain that she got dizzy and finally listened to Chris and waited for the ambulance. And it turns out she's got a few bruised/broken ribs. So it's nothing serious but it does warrant a trip to the hospital and she got scared because she could have been hit somewhere the vest doesn't cover. Cue Holly being there.

“Officer down,” a voice came over the radio, echoing through the morgue. There was static and then the voice said, “We need a bus. Officer down.”

Andy’s eyes snapped up at Holly who had been explaining a victim’s injuries. Andy knew that voice on the radio was Chris’s and she knew who was riding with him. Holly could read it all over Andy’s face.

Holly was the first one to move out of their stair, ripping off her lab coat, and moving to her desk.

“Dr. Stewart,” Andy stepped in front of the doorway.

“I- I have to go to the – to the hospital,” Holly fumbled over her words.

Andy offered gently, “Let me drive you.”

Holly just nodded vaguely and led the way out the door.

Andy got on her phone as she drove to the hospital, “Where are they?” She listened for a moment and then added, “Okay, let me know when you know.” Andy hung up her phone. “Dov thinks they’re on their way to the hospital. They may already be there.”

Holly nodded absently, “Yeah, okay.” Holly licked her lips, “Do you know where Gail got shot? Was it an arm or a leg? I mean…if she, if she was shot in the leg she could be fine until the bullet hit the femoral artery. Them I mean…” Holly shook her head.

“No,” Andy reached over with her free hand and put it on Holly’s shoulder, “I’m sorry.”

Holly sighed and looked out the window, “We’re not even together anymore.”

“That doesn’t mean you stop caring,” Andy withdrew her hand. “And Gail would want you there. Even if you aren’t together.”

Holly bit her lip, “I…It’s stupid. It’s so stupid.” Holly rested her head back on the headrest.

“I’m sure Gail will be okay,” Andy tried to assure Holly, but figured there wasn’t much assurance to give.

When they got to the hospital, Holly immediately went to the desk and had one of her friends paged. She knew that the nurse wasn’t going to give her any information, but her friend would.

“Hey,” Rachel walked up to Holly who was pacing restlessly in the waiting room. “What happened?”

There were tears in Holly’s eyes, “Gail’s been shot. I don’t know where she is and Andy can’t get a hold of anyone.”

Rachel immediately put her hands on Holly’s shoulders, “I’m so sorry. I will go see what I can find out. Do you want to come sit in the doctor’s lounge?”

Holly looked at Andy who was on the phone, standing a few meters behind her. Holly turned back to Rachel, “No. I’m going to stay with Andy.”

Rachel nodded and ducked into the nurse’s station to make a few calls and search through some records.

Holly walked to Andy as she got off of the phone. Andy looked at her. She opened her mouth to speak when the door to the emergency room opened. “I’m fine,” they both could hear Gail complain from the gurney, “It just hurts to breathe.”

“Then you’re not fine,” Chris told her as he walked next to her.

Holly stayed where she was, letting out a deep breath. Gail was alive. Andy made her way over to the gurney and walked with them, “What happened?”

“I got shot, McNally,” Gail quipped, “Do hospitals make your stupid or something?”

The paramedics paused to talk to the trauma doctor over Gail. Rachel walked over to them. “I opened up the MRI.”

“Great,” the trauma doctor nodded. “Officer, would you like to take a wheel chair or another gurney.”

“Wheel chair,” Gail slowly sat up. She winced and swung her legs over the side of the gurney. Chris immediately moved to her side to help her into the wheel chair that was being pushed behind her. As she was sitting down, she finally spotted Holly standing a little ways away in the maze of plastic waiting room chairs. Holly looked distraught and frazzled. She also looked a little relieved.

Gail swallowed. She asked the group around her, quietly, “How does Holly know?”

“She was with me when it came over the radio,” Andy answered. “She was so upset and she was going to try to drive herself. It wouldn’t have been good.”

Gail looked back at Holly and saw that she was still staring back at her with worry all over her face. Gail gave Holly a small nod. She needed Holly to know that she thought it was okay for her to stay. Holly nodded back acknowledging Gail’s approval.

When Gail was being wheeled away, she looked over her shoulder and saw Holly sitting down in the waiting room with the other officers.

“You know,” Dov spoke up when they were quiet in the room, “Gail talks about you all the time. I don’t know what that means, but I guess she’s been thinking about you.”

Holly smiled softly. She knew it was Dov’s way of trying to make her feel better, “Thanks.”

“Gail’s gonna be okay right?” Chris asked, leaning forward with his forearms on his knees. “She just got the wind knocked out of her right?”

Andy shrugged. Then she looked at Holly. If anyone knew, it would be Holly.

Holly swallowed knowing that she needed to help the officers feel more confident that Gail would make it through, “Where did it get her?”

“Like,” Chris sat up and pointed to the right side of his chest, “Right here I think. Right after she got shot, she fell backwards. She panicked and pulled off her vest so it was hard to tell.”

Holly nodded slowing, running through everything that could happen. “The MRI will tell them if there is any internal bleeping – like if the impact of the bullet ruptured anything. That would mean immediate surgery. Her ribs are probably broken and if they turned inward enough they could puncture her lung. Which would mean surgery too,” Holly looked at Chris, “Did she hit her head or anything when she fell?”

“No,” Chris shook his head.

Holly took a deep breath, for the first time in her life wishing that she had gone into a branch of medicine that would have given her privileges in this hospital so she could have gone back with Gail. Holly picked up her phone and texted Rachel, asking for any kind of update.

Holly dropped her head in her hands and closed her eyes. She had gone over what happened at The Penny in her head before, but not like she was in that moment. She went through every excruciating detail. She thought up a million things that she could have said to make Gail stay. She wished she would have said something more.

Andy looked over at the woman she barely knew. She knew the look of distress. She was trained to notice it. Andy put her hand on Holly’s back, “Hey, I know whatever happened between you two wasn’t permanent. Gail would have talked a lot less about you if it was. She keeps talking about you. What you like or what you’ve done. It’s cute in a subtle annoying Gail way.”

“I don’t care,” Holly shook her head, “She doesn’t have to still want to be with me. I’m going to stay until I know she’s okay.”

Andy looked over Holly’s bowed head at Chris and Dov. They all shared a pained expression. They all knew how things could go from okay to worst case in seconds so they were all going to sit in the waiting room with Holly and wait for any news. Andy rubbed Holly’s back, “We’ll stay with you. As long as it takes.”

**Part 2**

Holly was asleep in the waiting room. She had been there for a few hours already after a long day at work. She tried to stay awake, but her body won out in the end.

“Holly,” Andy gently woke the sleeping doctor.

Holly woke up. She sat up and adjusted her glasses, “Hmm?”

“Gail’s awake,” Andy sat down on the magazine table and touched Holly’s arms, “She’s asking for you.”

“For me?” Holly asked, although as soon as it left her mouth, she knew it was a stupid question. Holly rose and followed Andy down the hallway. As they walked, she noticed that Andy had changed out of her uniform. She had apparently been asleep for a while.

Andy stopped right outside an open door. Elaine Peck was in the hallway, pacing, and yelling at someone on the phone to “track that bastard down”. Holly glanced up at her, knowing that Elaine wasn’t going to pay attention to her. Holly nodded to Andy as she passed her and ducked in.

Gail was on the bed, sitting up. She looked tired, but she was alert. Her eyes landed on Holly the second she stepped into the door. Bill Peck stood from his seat next to Gail when he saw Holly. He nodded to Gail, “I’ll give you two a minute.” Gail didn’t say anything as her dad left. He touched Holly’s shoulder supportively on the way out before he closed the door.

Gail just looked at her and Holly stumbled into speech, “A-are you okay? Is there internal bleeding? Did you have surgery?”

Gail slowly blinked, “Um, broken ribs and…” She gestured vaguely to the foot of the bed, “The chart is down there. You can look at it.”

Holly had been eyeing it, but didn’t want to invade Gail’s privacy. However, given the go ahead, Holly snatched it up. Her eyes flew over the pages, until she had all the information she needed. When she saw that there was no lasting damage, tears sprung to Holly’s eyes. Gail was going to be okay. It would take some time, but everything would get back to normal. Holly put the chart back and wiped under her eyes. She smiled softly, “You’re going to be fine.”

“That’s what they keep telling me,” Gail sighed.

“Do you need anything?” Holly asked.

Gail shook her head. She struggled to sit up straighter, but did. “Have a seat.”

Holly’s heart started hammering in her chest. She didn’t know if this was going to be a good or bad thing. She braced herself for the worst.

“So I got shot,” Gail looked over at Holly.

Holly quirked an eyebrow, “I heard.”

“Are you seeing anyone?” Gail asked, holding Holly’s eyes.

Holly shook her head slowly, “No. I still wasn’t quite sure where we stand.”

“But you’re waiting?” Gail nervously questioned.

Holly nodded. “I’m waiting for you.”

Gail shook her head, “You need to stop doing that.”

Holly swallowed, “Why?”

“I’m indecisive and stubborn,” Gail looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. “I’m just a cop.”

“You’re not just a cop,” Holly scooted forward in her chair so that she was closer to Gail, “You’re not you’re occupation or your education or your police pedigree. We’ve talked about this before.” Holly paused and smiled, “I remembered it. You came over to my house, ranting about how no one would let you do anything dangerous because of your last name. Clearly, that has changed, but you’re not just a Peck or a cop or a – a blonde. You’re Gail. You’re an amalgamation of countless things. Never just one.”

“Can we go back to the way it was?” Gail breathed out.

“If you want,” Holly offered. “Anything you want.”

“We can start over,” Gail tilted her head toward Holly, “I just…I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” Holly took Gail’s hand. She dipped her head down and kissed Gail’s hand. “I got so scared when I heard you got shot.”

Gail inhaled and winced when it hurt. “You’ve been here the whole time?”

Holly nodded, “I fell asleep in the waiting room. Andy had to wake me up.” She stroked the top of Gail’s hand.

Gail laid back down and kept a hold of Holly’s hand, “We probably need to talk more after this, huh?”

“Yeah,” Holly agreed, “But right now, you can go to sleep. I’m not going anywhere.”

Gail blinked slowly, “Don’t leave.” She was slowly slipping into sleep, unable to fight it off.

Holly scooted her chair closer and kissed the tops of Gail’s fingers, “I’m not going anywhere.”


	63. Gail and Holly in Pride

“I hate festivals,” Gail watched all the people walk around in the downtown area. She stood on the corner with Chris next to her.

Chris put his hands on his belt and nodded to a few guys walking past him, taking his picture, “It’s a parade. It’s the Pride Parade. Isn’t this your thing now?”

Gail rolled her eyes, “My thing is sleeping with Holly. Not being outside around people.”

“At least you don’t discriminate,” Chris looked around, “Equal opportunity grouch.”

Gail looked around. It was a little less annoying than many other events she’d had to work at. She kept watch, making sure no one got aggressive. However, for as long as they’d been there, the only aggressive she saw was aggressive making out.

“Gail!”

Gail looked to her left and saw one of Holly’s friends walk up to her. He was one of her less annoying friends so Gail nodded to him, “Hey Kyle.”

“Have you seen your lady around?” He asked, taking a sip of a smoothie. He was wearing a white muscle shirt with the words “Got Pride?” written in rainbow letters.

Gail shook her head, “Not here.”

“I think I lost her in a mob of drag queens,” Kyle looked at Chris. “Hey, I’m Kyle.”

“Chris,” Chris introduced himself, moving around a little uncomfortably.

Kyle smiled to Gail, “He’s not from here is he?”

“Nope,” Gail looked over at Chris who blushed.

“Sorry,” Chris apologized, placing his hand on his chest, “It’s been a long day.”

Kyle looked around, “Don’t worry about it.” He flashed his left hand, “I’m married.” Kyle tilted his head. “There she is. See ya, Gail.”

Gail lost Kyle’s large muscular form in the crowd. She gave up looking after a minute. A ruckus was happening in the opposite direction. Gail tapped Chris’s arm to get his attention. Some protesters were yelling at a crowd.

When Gail got close, she could see the hate laden signs the protesters were holding. “It’s been a while since my baton has been out of the case.” She unhooked the flap it was under and started to pull it out.

“Hold on,” Chris walked up to the protesters. “Hey guys, move it along.”

The protesters started to argue with Chris and the pride-goers who were arguing with them started to dissipate. The protesters moved to the sidewalk which was where they were allowed to be and Chris joined Gail back on the corner.

Gail was on the corner for only a minute when she spotted Holly getting a piggyback ride from Kyle. She was wearing Kyle’s aviators and a rainbow bandana tied around her head, in typical hippie Holly-style.

“Hey Holly,” Chris smiled.

Holly hopped off of Kyle’s back when they got close to Gail and Chris.

“Hey,” Holly smiled back. They hugged and Holly commented, “I didn’t know you had Pride Detail.”

Chris shrugged, “It seemed like it would be more fun than running booking.”

Holly grinned at Gail, “Hello Officer.”

Gail rolled her eyes and shook out her ponytail. “Nice shorts.”

Holly looked down at her bright green running shorts. She was wearing a black tank top with a rainbow colored Metropolitan Police Department badge on it. They were sold in support of the LGBT Officers Association. Gail wasn’t part of it, but Holly bought the shirt anyway to support them.

“Thanks,” Holly took Kyle’s drink and took a sip, “They’re my girlfriend’s.” After getting Gail to smile, Holly asked, “Are you guys thirty? It’s really hot out here. I can go grab you some water.”

“You don’t have to,” Chris shook his head.

Holly saw that Gail was starting to sweat a little with all her equipment on, “I’ll be right back.”

Holly and Kyle walked off in search of some water for the officers. Chris looked over at Gail, “You should marry her.”

“I will,” Gail shrugged. She had already decided she would. She just hadn’t decided when. “And if you check out her legs again like you just did, I’ll poke out your eyes with my baton.”

Chris cleared his throat, “I was looking at her shorts.”

Gail rolled her eyes, knowing that it was a lie. Gail’s attention was ripped away from thinking about how to get Chris back when she heard Kyle yell, “Hey! Leave her alone!”

Gail took off running a second before Chris did. They rounded the corner and found the protesters in a line, facing a line of rainbow clad pride celebrators. Holly was wiping water off of her face. One of the protesters tossed an empty water bottle on the ground, obviously the one that tossed water onto her.

“Hey!” Gail yelled, her baton snapping to it’s full length with the flick of her wrist.

Chris called for backup before jumping to Gail’s side.

“Look at her shirt!” one of the protestors pointing at Holly. “She’s dishonoring the police department with that filth.”

Chris aggressively grabbed the man who threw water on Holly, “You’re under arrest.”

The man groaned, “C’mon. For what. I was helping you guys.”

“You’re not helping anyone, asshat,” Gail kept an eye on Holly while making sure that the protestors stayed back. Andy, Nick, and Dov came running up and formed a line between the Pride goers and the protestors while Chris took the guy who assaulted Holly back to the squad car.

With backup, Gail could take her eye off of them. She moved right to Holly, “What happened?”

Holly put the sunglasses back on, “I guess they didn’t like my shirt.”

Gail pushed some wet hair out of Holly’s face, “Are you okay?”

Holly shrugged, “It’s just water.”

“It’s never  _just water_ ,” Kyle put his hand on Holly’s back, “Are you really okay?”

“I’m fine,” Holly flexed her jaw. “Better me than someone else.”

Gail could hear the protestors trying to explain to Andy that Holly’s shirt was disgracing the police department. Andy was trying to politely tell them that the LGBT officers on the force protected the city and everyone in it just as much as the straight ones.

Gail could also see that Holly was angry. She was quiet about it, but even with her eyes hidden, Gail could see the tense muscles in Holly’s face. She put her hand on Holly’s face and stroked her cheek, hating that someone had done this to one of the genuinely nicest people Gail had ever met. Gail pulled Holly forward for a kiss. She could feel Holly smile into it.

There were whoops and cheers around them from the Pride attendees and utter silence from the protestors. Gail’s hands dropped to Holly’s waist and Holly’s arms crossed behind Gail’s head.

Holly heard the snap of a professional camera click multiple times and ended the kiss. She smiled, “Um, thanks for that.”

Gail smiled and dropped one last peck on Holly’s lips, “I’m going to go help process that guy.”

“Okay,” Holly took Gail’s hand and squeezed it, “Be careful.”

Gail heard someone behind her ask, “What was the name of that officer? I work with the Metropolitan Post. Is she your girlfriend?”

Gail heard Holly hesitate to she turned around and shouted her own name. She knew that her mother was probably not going to be happy with her picture in the paper, kissing Holly in uniform, but this was more important than her mother’s approval or really even her job. She needed to show that, although Gail was hesitant in the past, she was proud that Holly was her girlfriend and she wanted the whole world to know.

“Yeah, she’s my girlfriend,” Holly told the journalist with a smile.

_**Part 2** _

Gail walked into parade to wolf whistles and whoops. She rolled her eyes when she saw the picture of her and Holly kissing clipped to the whiteboard.

“Alright, alright,” Oliver got everyone to calm down. “Yesterday was World Pride Day in the downtown and it was a huge, safe success. There were only two arrests. One public urination and one assault on our very own Dr. Holly Stewart.” Oliver used a laser pointer to point to Holly on the picture in the paper. “Which brings up the very serious issue of hate crimes. There has been some concern as to how this department handles hate crimes. Obviously we can’t always kiss it and make it go away.” Oliver smiled at Gail who looked down at the table, trying to be mad.

“Seriously though,” Oliver leaned on his podium, “Take hate crimes seriously. We don’t want this assault on one of our own to grow into something bigger. Stay alert, stay safe, and listen.” Everyone started to stand when Oliver called, “Peck. You have a visitor in my office.”

Gail pulled the paper off of the board and followed Oliver to his office. She really shouldn’t have been surprised to find her mother sitting in Oliver’s chair. “What does she want?”

“No idea,” Oliver answered, “She was here when I got here.”

Gail opened the door and walked into the office, “I guess you want to talk about this,” Gail held up the paper.

“Precisely,” her mother nodded, “Have a seat.”

Gail dropped the paper on the desk flopped down on the chair. Oliver stood just inside of the door.

“You have presented us with a unique opportunity,” Elaine smoothed out the paper that showed her daughter kissing a forensic pathologist. “We now have a platform in which to initialize our Crackdown on Hate Crimes Campaign. I just wanted to ask your permission and Holly’s, of course, to use your picture as a sort of jumping off point.”

“Do I have to speak at anything?” Gail asked, skeptically.

“Of course not,” Her mother rolled her eyes. “I learned my lesson in that department. If Holly would like to speak, she can.”

“So this initiative,” Oliver interrupted, “What will it mean for the police department?”

“Multi-cultural training and an ad campaign letting the public know that we’re not knuckle dragging Neanderthals,” Elaine stated, “Which is what the latest opinion polls have us pegged as.” Elaine turned back to her daughter and held up the paper, “About the picture?”

“As long as Holly is okay with it,” Gail shrugged, “I don’t care.”

Elaine spotted something moving behind Oliver and stood up. Holly stepped into the office. She took in the sight of Elaine holding up the paper and Gail slumped in the chair, “You wanted to see me, Elaine?”

“She wants to use our picture for the ad campaign,” Gail looked up at Holly.

“Oh,” Holly took in. She thought about what happened to her and, although it wasn’t something that physically hurt her, she was still feeling the emotional wounds from being harassed. “What kind of campaign?”

Elaine stood out of Oliver’s chair and rolled it so that it was next to Gail. She gestured for Holly to sit in it. Oliver lingered behind them. After Holly took a seat, Elaine leaned back on the front of Oliver’s desk, “I read the report of what happened, both Gail’s and Officer Diaz’s. What happened to you yesterday should not be tolerated in any way, shape, or form. This city is one of the most diverse in the world and we are in charge of keeping the peace. This campaign is a zero-tolerance hate crime campaign. Every officer will undergo multi-cultural training as well as being briefed on the new protocols. This was sitting on the back burner for a while, but I pushed it through last night because the people in this city should not be afraid of being harassed and assaulted for being who they are. The children should not learn to hide who they are because no one will protect them.” Elaine looked up at Oliver, “Will you excuse us for a moment?”

“Yeah,” Oliver nodded, “I’ll just be…at someone else’s desk.” He stepped out.

When the door closed, Elaine set her eyes upon Holly again, “You’ve become like a daughter to me, Holly. I have to say that I was enraged when I heard what had happened. You serve this city just as we do and no one deserves to be assaulted like that, especially you.”

Gail was surprised at her mother’s confession. She didn’t really expect that kind of reaction. She was touched that her mother thought of Holly as a daughter. It was nice.

“I, um,” Holly looked down and pushed up her glasses before looking at Elaine, “Thank you. I think of you as family as well and this initiative…it sounds great. If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”

Elaine moved toward Holly and opened her arms. Holly stood and hugged Elaine. Elaine rubbed her back, “You don’t have to do anything now. I’ll let you know if I come up with anything.” Elaine pulled away from Holly and smiled at her.

Holly’s phone beeped and she took it out of her pocket, “I’m sorry I have to go to a crime scene.”

“Of course,” Elaine nodded.

Gail dug some keys out of her pocket and handed them to Holly. When Holly went to grab them, Gail used the keys to pull Holly down for a kiss.

“What time do you get off of shift?” Holly asked, slowly moving toward the door.

“Seven,” Gail stated.

“I’ll pick you up,” Holly promised with a smile and then walked out the door.

Elaine watched her walk out and then told Gail, “You should take her out to dinner tonight. I’ve seen things like that hurt people. It may have been just water, but it’s the act that hurts.”

Gail thought about that, but when they got home that night Holly acted like everything was normal. Gail nodded slowly, “Yeah. I think I will.”

Gail stood up and surprised her mom with a hug, “Thank you for doing this. It’s going to mean a lot to Holly.”

Elaine squeezed her daughter, “It should have happened a long time ago.”

When Gail stepped back, her mom looked at the picture again, “This is really a flattering picture of the two of you. I think I’m going to get one framed and put it up in the great room.”

Gail smiled and started to make her way to the door, “As long as you get one for me too.” 


	64. Holly and Tracy working together so we can hear Holly's POV on her and Gail not speaking.

“Oh wow,” Holly walked into the crime scene. It was a house in a really nice neighborhood and the living room was covered in blood.

“Yeah,” Traci was the only other person in the room so no one would disturb the crime scene. “Someone wanted to really make sure that Mr. Lee here was dead.”

“I’m not a detective, but someone seemed angry,” Holly stepped back out the door to put her bag out on the porch. She put what she needed in her pocket and slipped paper booties on. She stepped back in and walked over to what was left of the body.

Traci kept taking notes about what was around her. “I’d say so.” As Holly pulled on her gloves, Traci asked, “Did you have fun in Prince George?”

“Prince George?” Holly looked over her shoulder.

“One of the other pathologists said that you went on vacation,” Traci offered.

“Oh,” Holly smiled, “I didn’t go to Prince George. I went to Costa Rica.”

“That actually sounds a lot better,” Traci laughed, “How was it?”

Holly shrugged and turned to the dead body on the floor, “It was nice. Warm and sunny. I just needed a few days away.”

“Yeah,” Traci agreed. “I think I’m going to need one of those soon. Steve keeps trying to take me and Leo to Chicago. I don’t know what his obsession is with Chicago, but he really wants to go.”

“His parents took him and Gail to Chicago a few times when they were kids,” Holly explained as she looked over what was left of the dead man’s head, “They went to Wrigley Field and the zoo. It was like the most fun vacation of their childhood.”

“That would make sense,” Traci moved to where Holly was, “He keeps talking about going during baseball season.” Traci paused for a moment before she asked, “I heard what happened with you and Gail.”

“I figured everyone would,” Holly examined the man’s partially exposed mandible.

“How are you holding up?” Traci asked gently, “I know you were really happy. I don’t know what happened, but it seemed kind of sudden.”

“It was very sudden,” Holly took a deep breath, “I don’t think whatever he was beat with killed him. It had to be something else. I’ll have to check when I get back to the lab.”

“Really?” Traci asked, “You’re saying he wasn’t beat to death?”

Holly shook her head and stood up, “As odd as it sounds, there’s not enough blood for him to have been beat to death. He was dead and then someone beat him in a twisted effort to paint this room.” Holly spotted some blood on the ceiling.

“Alright,” Traci took down the notes. She closed her notebook, “If you want to go get a drink sometime, you have my number. I call you with dumb questions enough.”

Holly smiled, “They’re not dumb questions, but thank you. I could definitely go for a drink though.”

“Tonight?” Traci offered, “At The Penny?”

“Anywhere but the Penny,” Holly shook her head. She couldn’t seemed to meet Traci’s eyes and explain why.

“How about the Lion and the Crown down the street from the morgue?” Traci led the way to the front door of the house.

Holly forced a smile, “That sounds great. I’ll meet you there after work.”

Holly walked into the bar after work and found Traci was waiting for her at the bar. Holly sat down at the bar and ordered a scotch.

“That kind of day huh?” Traci asked with a smile.

Holly was tired, but smiled as well, “Yup. I get back from vacation and the lab is a mess. Also,” Holly thanked the bartender who set down her drink. She picked it up, “The rumor mill in the police department spilled into the morgue and I have been explaining to everyone all day that no one cheated, I’m fine, and I didn’t leave the country because I was heartbroken.” Holly took a large drink of her scotch and looked down into her glass.

Traci signaled the bartender for another scotch for Holly, “Is all that true?”

“Just the first one,” Holly sighed, rolling the rim of her glass on the table. She looked over at Holly, “but how was your day?”

Traci debated whether or not she should ignore the question and keep talking about the break up. In the end, when Holly downed the rest of her scotch and traded her empty glass for a full one, Traci turned toward Holly, “I talked to Gail and she doesn’t really seem to think that it’s over. She keeps talking about it like you’re on a break and that maybe –eventually- she’ll swallow her pride and say that she’s sorry.”

“Did she tell you what happened?” Holly asked quietly, almost ashamed.

Traci shook her head, “But I’ve heard enough pieces to put together most of the story. Steve thinks that Gail is still hanging on because she doesn’t want it to be over.”

“I don’t want it to be either,” Holly barely spoke where Traci could hear.

“You and I both know behind that legacy swagger and the sarcastic front, Gail’s scared of getting close to people,” Traci picked up her beer, “And if you wait for her to make a move, it could take a while.”

Holly looked at her drink. “I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s my place.”

“Gail pushes people away,” Traci took a sip of her beer, “And people let her. They just stay away.”

“I know,” Holly put her head down on her arms that were resting on the bar, “I thought about that while I was booking my plane ticket. I thought about that while I was on the plane and while I was on the beach and while I was laying in bed for the rest of my vacation because I…I missed her and she should have been there with me holding my hand and complaining about the sand.” Holly turned toward Traci, “I, um, I was in foster care. I’m used to being alone and fending for myself. I’m not a relationship person, but with Gail I was…I was in it. All the way.”

“Do you think that when you had a little fight both your force fields went back up?” Traci asked carefully.

Holly sighed again, “Yes. I know that’s exactly what happened. I just don’t know what to do about it.”

“You’ll figure it out and if you need any help let me know,” Traci offered Holly a smile.

Holly smiled back, “Thank you. You’re the…you’re the first person to ask me my side of it.”

“What kind of detective would I be if I didn’t get the whole story?” Traci touched Holly’s arm. She pulled Holly into a hug because the doctor looked like she needed it.

Holly sighed into the hug. She didn’t know when she and Traci became friends, but she was thankful for it nonetheless. 


	65. Holly as a Biker and Gail stops her

Gail looked at the motorcycle stopped in front of her squad car. It looked brand new and really fast. The glossy paint on the motorcycle reflected the lights of the squad car in small lasers, shooting in every direction. Gail opened her door and told Chloe, “Run the plates. I’m going to go get an ID.”

Gail walked over to the motorcycle. The person who was on the bike had on a full helmet with a tinted visor so Gail couldn’t see their face. Gail took out her flashlight, “Helmet off, Speed Racer.”

There was a hesitation before gloved hands moved up to the helmet and pulled it off. A cascade of hair fell  as the helmet was pulled up. Holly adjusted her glasses, “Hi.”

Gail just stood next to the motorcycle for a moment, completely stunned, “When did you get a motorcycle?”

“Yesterday,” Holly answered. She ran a hand through her hair.

“Why?” Gail asked, still in shock.

Holly shrugged, “Mid-life crisis.”

Gail rolled her eyes, “You’re not mid-life yet.”

“I’m an elitist overachiever,” Holly answered evenly, but bitterly.

Gail narrowed her eyes, “You were speeding.”

Holly huffed, “Then, give me a ticket so I can go be an asshole to a waiter somewhere because I’m better than him.”

Holly’s voice was dripping with sarcasm that was not lost on Gail. Gail opened her mouth when Chloe interrupted, “Hey, um, I think we can let you go with a verbal warning, Holly. Just slow down and be careful, okay?”

Holly looked over her shoulder at Chloe. She nodded, compliant and polite, “Okay, I will. Thank you Chloe.”

“Hold on a second,” Gail stepped between them, “Chloe is still on probationary duty so I’m still in charge.”

Holly put her helmet on the handlebar of the motorcycle and set it on the kickstand. She looked at Gail, “So you’re going to arrest me after you dumped me?”

“I dumped you?!” Gail’s voice raised an octave. “You were the one talking with your friend behind my back about how I’m not even in your league.”

“I never said that,” Holly counted quietly, putting her hands into her pockets, “You didn’t want to hear what I had to say. You were just looking for a way out and you found it. Congratulations. I hope you had fun obliterating hearts during your stay in LesbianLand. I get that you hate me. You’ve made that abundantly clear. Just please give me a ticket or take me to jail.” Holly was battling tears. She couldn’t even look at Gail, “Or let me go. Please.”

“Obliterating hearts?” Gail tried to stay on the offense. It was getting difficult with Holly breaking down in front of her, “C’mon Holly, whose heart?”

“Mine,” Holly sniffled. “You gave up so easily. You never cared at all.” Holly finally turned to Chloe, “Can I please go?”

Chloe nodded slowly, seeing that Gail was staring hard at the ground. “Are you sure you want to ride that? Do you want us to drive you somewhere?”

“No,” Holly cleared her throat and regained her composure, “I just want to go.”

“Okay,” Chloe patted Holly’s arm, “Be safe.”

“You too,” Holly replied. She got on her motorcycle and put on her helmet. Then she kicked up the stand, turned the motorcycle on, and rode off into the night with Gail staring at the taillights fading in the distance.

**_Part 2_ **

“We should have given her a ticket,” Gail mumbled as she settled behind the wheel.

“She was going four over the speed limit and giving her a ticket isn’t the best way to say you’re sorry,” Chloe answered, “Even for you.”

“Who says I’m sorry?” Gail spat.

Chloe looked around, “Maybe you should talk to her. It’s obvious that you were both hurt.”

“No one asked you,” Gail turned on the car and pulled back onto the street.

Chloe shrugged, “I know. I’m just saying. You were happy with her. I don’t know why you’d throw that all away because of something that her friend said.”

“You weren’t there,” Gail huffed and leaned back into her seat.

“I know,” Chloe nodded. She sighed, “At least talk to her. You’re going to have to work together eventually. You’re going to be a detective right? She’s the best forensic pathologist in the department. I mean I’ve been to her office five times and I’m still on Oliver probation.”

Gail didn’t have to say anything. A dispatcher interrupted, “Multi-vehicle accident.” She went on to say the address. It was only a few blocks away. Gail snatched up the radio before Chloe could reach for it, “1504 responding.” She paused, “Was there a motorcycle in the accident?”

“1504, vehicles in the accident are currently unknown,” the dispatcher replied.

Chloe flipped on the lights while Gail pressed down the gas. It only took a minute to get to the scene of the accident. It only took one quick look around to see that this accident was a huge mess. There were a few cars badly smashed and one laying on it’s side.

“Gail,” Chloe touched Gail’s arm.

When Gail looked to where Chloe was pointing, her stomach clenched. Holly’s motorcycle was leaning on the curb. Her helmet lay haphazardly a few meters from the motorcycle.

Someone ran up to them and stole their attention, “I don’t- I don’t know what happened. There was just so much noise and then.” The young man ran a hand through his hair and looked around, “I don’t know what happened.”

“It’s okay,” Chloe moved to the boy, “Go sit down on the curb. We’re going to help the injured people.”

“I don’t know what happened,” the boy muttered and walked away.

The sirens of the fire engine got close and finally the lights flashed through the street. Gail finally got into motion. She had to do her job. She had to help the people who needed her.

Chloe took the car closest to them so Gail moved to the overturned car. She knelt down with her flashlight and hear someone talking, “Okay, hold this on your leg, I’m going to push it up. Ready?”

Gail scrambled up and ran to the other side of the car. Holly was on her knees next to a little girl. Her shoulder was pressed against the door of the car. The little girl’s leg was caught under it. Gail immediately moved to the car and helped push it off of the little girl. She whimpered and cried, but got her leg out.

Gail and Holly let the car down and Holly tightened the tourniquet that she tired around the girl’s leg. She examined her leg and knew that it was going to be okay.

“Help!” there was a scream from the other side of the road.

“Go,” Gail told Holly. She took hold of the tourniquet.

Holly hesitated for a moment, holding eye contact with Gail before quickly running to the other side of the road.

“Hey,” Gail looked at the little girl, “What’s your name?”

“Katie,” the little girl whimpered.

“Okay, Katie,” Gail tried to maintain eye contact with the girl, “It’s going to be okay.”

It wasn’t a minute later that EMTs whisked the girl and the boy that ran up to Gail and Chloe, who happened to be her brother, away. Another woman, who was much worse off, was taken in a separate ambulance.

Gail spotted Holly sitting on the curb, looking exhausted. Her hands were streaked in blood and her shirt was soiled with grease and gravel. Holly leaned back on a street lamp and looked for somewhere to wipe her hands.

“Hey,” Gail quietly breeched the peace, “Are you okay?”

Holly looked up and blew some stray hairs out of her face, “Yeah. And here I thought I was going to be out of practice with living people.”

“I know you probably want to get home,” Gail licked her lips slowly and kindly added, “But can you stick around for little while.”

“Yeah,” Holly nodded, knowing she would have to give a statement, “No problem.”

“Are you hurt?” Gail asked softly, even though everything around them was still moving so quickly and so brightly.

Holly shook her head, “I saw the accident. I ditched my bike,” she gestured vaguely, “somewhere.”

Gail took out her notepad and listened to Holly explain in perfect detail how the accident went down. As she tucked her notepad away the blood on Holly’s hands caught Gail’s eyes again. “Hold on a sec.”

Gail walked back to the squad car. Chloe was already filling out diagrams and talking to the firefighters. She walked over to Gail who popped the trunk and started digging around in her duty bag. “I already talked to the firefighters in charge and since all the people involved in the accident went to the hospital, I’m sketching the diagram. I already called the tow trucks and all we need is Holly’s statement.”

“I’ll get it,” Gail grabbed a towel out of her bag and a bottle of water. “Just take care of everything else.”

“Thank you so much,” Chloe smiled, “I haven’t gotten to do anything in a long time.”

Gail walked away from the car and moved back to where Holly was. She poured water on the towel and handed it to Holly.

“Thanks,” Holly took it and started wiping off her hands. There was an awkward silence which Holly thoughtfully interrupted, “You know, now that I look at it all, I see evidence. I want to put up yellow numbers and take pictures.” Holly looked intensely at her hands trying to get the blood off, “But when it’s happening, it’s stuff and people. There’s no time to measure things or gather puzzle pieces.” Holly took a deep breath, “It’s a fucked up thing when all I see is evidence.”

Gail could see that Holly was stressed out and confused. Holly wasn’t sure what to do with all the adrenaline and all her feelings that were heightened over the past few minutes. Gail moved to sit on the curb next to Holly. “It’s part of our jobs you know? I start seeing victims and criminals. Sometimes they stop being people and start being what happened to them, but sometimes it hits you so hard in the face that they are people. Bad things happen to people and we’re trying to distance ourselves because if we didn’t no one could handle our jobs.” Gail took a deep breath and looked over at Holly who was looking back at her. She just looked so exhausted and defeated.

Gail offered Holly the water bottle. Holly mumbled a “thanks” before taking it. She took a long drink and handed it back to Gail. Gail took a drink and then closed it.

Gail took a deep breath, “Can I come over after shift?”

Holly immediately nodded, “Please.”

Gail could see the tow trucks coming and knew she had to get back to work. She had to leave Holly with some reassuring words, “It’ll be okay.” She tucked some hair behind Holly’s ear and let her fingers linger under Holly’s hair on the back of her neck. She pulled Holly gently forward and kissed her forehead. Holly’s eyes slid closed and she felt the tension just melt out of her shoulders.

“You can go home,” Gail told Holly after she pulled away, “Take a shower, have a scotch. I’ll be over in about an hour.”

Holly nodded, “Okay.”

Gail stood up and went back to work, doing her job. She was talking to a tow truck driver about cleaning up the glass when she saw Chloe handing Holly her helmet. Holly thanked her with the best smile she could muster and picked up her motorcycle. Holly mounted her motorcycle and put on her helmet with ease. In a few seconds, she was just another taillight in the distance. 

_**Part 3** _

The motorcycle was parked on the porch when Gail arrived. She knocked on the door. When no one answered, Gail got a little worried. She dug Holly’s spare key out of the potted orchid next to the front door. Gail was a little relieved that Holly never took her advice and hid it better.

Gail opened the front door and put the spare key in the house. If Holly wasn’t going to hide it better, Gail decided that she would. She set the spare on the entryway table and locked the door behind herself. “Holly?”

There wasn’t an answer so Gail went deeper into the townhouse, looking for her. The kitchen was empty, but the liquor cabinet was half-open and visibly missing a few bottles. Gail went to the cabinet, grabbed herself a tumbler and went to join Holly in binge drinking in whatever corner of the house she was hiding in.

Gail checked upstairs first. Holly wasn’t in the bedroom, her home office, or the bathroom. Since she wasn’t on the main floor, that meant that Holly was hiding out in her basement.

Gail slowly made her way down the basement and heard the sounds of a movie playing. Gail stepped onto the carpeted floor of the basement and found Holly sitting on the floor in front of the couch. Holly made an entire little apartment in the basement completely with a bed, a couch, and the only TV in her house. The video game system that Holly bought because Gail wanted to play one night was sitting next to the TV, collecting dust. On the glass coffee table in front of Holly, there was a line of four shot glasses and a half-empty tumbler of bourbon. The bottle of bourbon was on the table and the bottle of tequila was in Holly’s hand as she started filling the shot glasses. There were lime wedges scattered across the table.

Gail walked over to the couch and walked around it. She sat down next to Holly without saying a word. She picked up the bourbon and filled her tumbler. Then she commandeered two shots of tequila and a lime wedge. Holly didn’t say anything. She just picked up one of the shots and waited for Gail to do the same. They tapped their tiny shot glasses together and took the shot.

The other two shots disappeared just as quickly and Holly leaned completely back on the couch with her knees to her chest. She picked up her bourbon and her eyes set upon the movie playing in front of her. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know if she wanted to say anything. She wasn’t sure there was really anything she could say.

Gail was basically on the same page that Holly was on. But she was more content. She knew that she didn’t have to say much for Holly to understand her. Gail scooted closer to Holly and put her arm on the seat of the couch behind Holly. Holly immediately put her tired head on Gail’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Gail bent her arm so that she could gently stroke the hair away from Holly’s face.

Holly needed something to hold onto so she wrapped her arms around Gail’s waist and looked up let out a deep sigh.

Gail knew that moments like these were the ones that old her Holly was everything she’d ever been missing. Holly could talk about feelings, but she knew when Gail didn’t want to and would sit in silence with her. Holly was understanding, but knew when to prod Gail into going in a different direction. Holly understood how emotional her job could be. Holly knew when Gail needed some tea or when she needed tequila.

Perhaps more importantly, Gail felt that she could be all those things for Holly. She could sense what Holly wanted and more than anything she wanted to be what Holly wanted. She knew that eventually they were going to have to talk about what happened at the Penny, but right then wasn’t the time for it. Right then they needed each other. They needed to be silence and hold each other.

Before the movie was over, they seemed to decide at the same time to move to the guest bed a few feet away. They removed only their shoes and snuggled under the covers together. Gail kept a protective hold on Holly and Holly continued to cling to Gail’s waist. Nothing else was said that night. They both drifted off to sleep with the end credits of the movie being the only sound around them.


	66. Holly realising Chris is on drugs and Gail not wanting to believe her

“How about another round?” Chris asked. He didn’t wait for an answer. He just drummed on the table as he stood up and walked to the bar.

Holly watched him walk away and looked down at the table, deep in thought.

“Hey,” Gail poked Holly’s side, “Are you okay?”

Holly immediately smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I’m great.” She leaned over and kissed Gail. She and Gail had just reconciled and she was sure that she was noticing something that might put her newly rekindled relationship back in jeopardy. She swallowed and looked at the bar. Chris was texting someone at the bar so she asked Gail, “Is Chris acting weird to you?”

“What do you mean?” Gail asked, playing with Holly’s hand on the table.

Holly licked her lips. “I don’t know. Has he been more tired or energetic lately? Changes in personality? Secrecy? More aggressive? Late to work?”

“I – what are you talking about?” Gail asked, immediately confused and defensive.

“Never mind,” Holly took a deep breath. She looked back at Chris who was still staring at his phone.

Gail thought it over. Yeah she heard what happened with Chris at Fite Nite. He’d been agitated more than usual at work. He’d been late more times in the past two weeks than he had been in the previous five years. He’d been ridiculously protective of his phone. He wouldn’t even let Gail check the time. He’d been drinking more coffee than Oliver and Sam put together.  

“Are you saying that Chris is on drugs?” Gail asked quietly.

Holly shrugged, “I don’t know. I don’t know Chris that well. It’s just some little things that I noticed. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

Gail looked over at Chris. She crossed her arms and leaned on the table. She frowned looking hard at Chris’s back. She looked to Holly, “He’s a cop.”

Holly felt her stomach get tight. She knew that arguing her point might drive Gail away. But the person that she was, she needed Gail to know so that Chris could get help. She leaned toward Gail, “He’s got bags under his eyes. His hands keep shaking. He’s checking his phone constantly, but not like he’s excited to get a text from a woman.” Holly leaned back in her chair, “I just know what it looks like.”

“Right, you’re a doctor,” Gail flexed her jaw, “Cops can’t see drug addicts.”

Holly’s face immediately tensed. She narrowed her eyes, “I thought you were over that. I didn’t say that. I never agreed with it. I know what it looks like because that is what I grew up around. I did not grow up in a nice neighborhood and you know that. Half of my foster siblings were on drugs before I turned twelve. I know what it looks like because I lived in it.” Holly stood up from the table.

“Wait,” Gail grabbed Holly’s hand, “I’m sorry.” She slipped her fingers between Holly’s and pulled her back into her chair. “I know you know what it looks like. I’m sorry. I just – this is Chris. He’s Dudley Do-right. He fostered a puppy that we found at a crime scene.”

“I know,” Holly gently replied, “It’s surprising, but…It’s what I see.”

“You can’t say anything,” Gail shook her head, holding Holly’s eyes. “If it is what you think it is, that means his job is gone.”

“But he needs help,” Holly countered, “Or his job is going to be the last of his worries.”

Gail nodded. Chris was walking toward them. “I’m going to go call Dov. Keep Chris here.” Gail hopped up and walked away.  

“Hey,” Chris slid up to the table, “Where did Gail go?”

“To make a call,” Holly shrugged, “I think.” She accepted the beer that Chris got her, “Anything new with you? I know we haven’t talked in a few weeks.”

“Um,” Chris shook his head, “Not really. Just working.”

“Right on,” Holly nodded. She put her hands around her beer, “Any new girlfriends?”

“Oh yeah,” Chris immediately answered, “Lots. I mean, I’m not up for a relationship right now. I just got out of a long, long relationship. So I’m having a good time.”

Holly nodded, “Yeah I totally get that.”

“You’ve done that?” Chris asked trying to engage Holly, “Revolving door bedroom? Line of beautiful women?”

“Um,” Holly took a sip of her drink and nodded, “For like a week. It’s not my thing. I was a serial dater in college. I had a ton of  _serious_ girlfriends. Then in med school there was no one because I didn’t have time. And now there’s Gail.”

“I get that,” Chris gestured affirmatively. He took a sip of his beer. “Gail’s great.”

“She is,” Holly agreed. She checked over her shoulder and saw Gail walked over with Dov.  Holly took a deep breath, “You need to do what makes you happy, but make sure those things aren’t destructive.”

“Destructive?” Chris looked confused and a little alarmed.

Holly licked her lips and sighed as Gail and Dov got close. She didn’t have anything else to say. It wasn’t her place.

“Let’s go outside,” Dov told Chris when he walked up.

“What?” Chris asked.

Dov jerked his head to the door, “C’mon man, outside.”

Chris looked from Dov to Gail whose expression was hard and unreadable. “What’s going on?”

“Let’s go,” Gail took Holly’s hand and led the way out the door. Dov followed and Chris reluctantly brought up the rear.

They all walked a little ways down the street before Dov asked, “So how long have you been doing drugs, Chris?”

Chris stopped walking, “What are you talking about?”

“I knew something was up,” Dov shook his head and turned to square off with Chris, “What are you doing? You love this job and you’re going to lose it.”

“What are you talking about?” Chris repeated trying to stick to his story, but not knowing what else to say.

“Give it up,” Gail rolled her eyes. “You’re acting just like an addict. You’re always late. You’re always tired. You’re falling apart. We’re cops. We know what to look for.”

Chris opened his mouth to reply, but couldn’t seemed to make any words. He put his hands in his pockets and looked around, “Are you going to tell Oliver?”

“Are you going to stop?” Gail asked, deadpan.

Chris looked out over the street.

“Can you take some time off? I have a friend at a rehab in Regina,” Holly offered quietly, “They’ll be discreet. No one will know except for the four of us.”

“C’mon man,” Dov put his hand on Chris’s shoulder, “Whatever is going on, we can deal with it? Why did you tell?”

“I don’t know,” Chris sniffled, “I mean it just started to suddenly and…snowballed so fast.”

Holly nodded understandingly while Gail and Dov just stared dumbfounded at their friend like they had no idea who he was.

When no one said anything, Holly ventured, “Why don’t I take Chris back to my place and,” Holly looked at Dov and Gail, “you two can go back to his apartment? Take a look around?”

“Wait,” Chris put his hands up and took a step back, “I don’t have – I don’t have anything at the apartment.”

Gail and Dov looked at each other knowing that Chris was lying. Dov turned to Chris, “Okay. You don’t have anything, but I’m going to take a look around for my piece of mind because it’s our apartment too.”

Holly took a step toward Chris trying to diffuse the situation a little bit by stepping between Dov and Chris. “We can go call my friend at the rehab. You can talk to him so that you get comfortable.”

“No,” Chris shoved the closest person to him away which happened to be Holly. Her heel caught on Dov’s foot and she fell backwards onto the cold pavement.

“Hey!” Gail grabbed Chris’s jacket and shoved him up against the closest building. She grabbed his arm and twisted until he was forced to turn around face first against the wall. “She’s trying to help you and if you don’t stop it, she’s going to be the only one.”

Dov helped an uninjured Holly up off of the ground. Holly immediately stepped up to Gail, “I’m fine. Let him go.”

Gail pushed off of Chris, making sure to twist his arm as she let go. Chris slid down the wall until he was sitting and dropped his face in his hands. She whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

Holly looked at Dov and Gail. “You two can go ahead. I’ll stay here with him.”

“Here?” Dov asked.

Holly nodded. “I’ll call you if anything happens.”

Gail pulled Holly into a kiss, silently thanking her for everything she was doing. Holly understood and wanted to help. She’d seen too many people with Chris’s problem cross over her morgue tables.

Holly sat down next to Chris while Gail and Dov walked off. She gently touched his arm and he just crumbled into her. Holly put her arms around him and held Chris while he cried and apologized, assuring him that everything would be okay.


	67. Gail never kissed Holly in 4x12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They've been best friends for a few years+there's an unspoken undercurrent of attraction between them but when Holly confides in Gail that she thinks her girlfriend is going to propose to her, Gail is forced to act on her true feelings or miss out forever.

Holly walked in her sweatpants to get the front door. She opened it and smiled when she saw Gail, “Hey.”

“Hey,” Gail smiled back. She presented Holly with a DVD box set. “I came over to celebrate your day off.”

Holly opened the door so Gail could walk in and then led the way deeper into the house, “Where were you Tuesday when I was watching a marathon of Will & Grace on my own?”

“I was busy,” Gail tossed her jacket onto the coat rack and kicked the door closed, “The life of a Narcotics Detective is glamorous. I spent six hours sitting in a car outside of a textile warehouse in Scarborough.” Gail walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, “Ew how long as this Thai food been here?”

“When was Labour Day?” Holly asked, turning on the TV in the living room.

“Three weeks ago,” Gail answered.

Holly dropped the remote on the couch and walked back to the kitchen, “Then three weeks and one day old.”

Gail moved to the freezer and grabbed some ice cream, “You’re disgusting.”

“I’m also very busy,” Holly moved passed Gail to get something to drink.

“Where’s K-9?” Gail tossed the lid to the ice cream into the trash and grabbed a spoon. “She’s got time right?”

Holly smiled a little to herself. She stopped correcting Gail’s nickname for her girlfriend over a year ago. It wasn’t worth it and Gail wasn’t going to change. One mention of thinking about applying for the K-9 unit and Holly’s girlfriend had a nickname for life. Instead she answered, “She’s on shift.” Holly turned around and took in Gail. “Committing to finish off the ice cream already?” Holly noticed that the lid was already in the trash, “Are you and Nick on again or off again?”

“Off again,” Gail shrugged. She put a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth and commented, “It’s whatever.”

Holly opened her arms to Gail. “C’mon. Bring it in.”

Gail sighed. She wasn’t really as upset about breaking up with Nick as she felt like she should be. They broke up and got back together at least twice a year. Gail accepted the hug though. She rarely turned away a hug from Holly.

Holly rubbed Gail’s back and kissed the side of her head, “I don’t know why you put yourself through this.”

“I don’t know,” Gail sighed and pulled away, “It’s just easy I guess.” She resumed eating her ice cream. “Are we going to watch seven hours of tv or what?”

Holly turned Gail around and put her hands on Gail’s shoulder’s guiding her into the living room. “I am so glad Casey and I ran 5k this morning.”

“You and your exercise freak girlfriend give me hives,” Gail griped and plopped down on the couch with the ice cream in her lap.

It only took half of an episode for Gail to lay down and drape her legs over Holly. Holly had been drawing lazy patterns on Gail’s jeans while watching the show. Two episodes in Holly offered to order lunch.

“You know what I like,” Gail sat up and stretched, “I’m going to go pee.”

Holly went to the kitchen and started digging through the take-out menu drawer. She usually just grabbed the one menu on top because when she ordered in, it was usually just her and she was working at home so she just ordered from a Greek place that made a great salad. However, she was feeling adventurous. Holly started pulling out the ridiculous stack of menus. Some of the places that were in the stack had closed down so she started throwing the old menus into the recycling.

After thinning out what she had to choose from, she was looking over the menu for a pizza place down the street when she spotted something odd sticking out of the menu drawer. Holly pushed the remaining junk in the drawer around before extracting a small blue velvet box. When she popped it open, her breath caught in her throat.

“Hey, I grabbed one of your sweaters because I-” Gail was walking into the kitchen when she saw Holly standing at the counter with a take-out menu in one hand and a diamond ring in the other. “What’s going on?”

“I-I-I just found this in the drawer,” Holly showed the ring to Gail. Her mouth was dry and she could barely think.

Gail took the ring and looked it over. It was the first time she’d seen the ring, although she was sure she knew what it was. The thought alone made her nauseous.

Gail looked up at Holly who looked like she’s just been punched in the stomach. Holly looked at Gail and the look on her face was unmistakable trepidation.

“Congratulations?” Gail offered.

Holly took the ring back and snapped the box shut. She put it in the drawer and closed it like it would make the ring go away. Holly ran her hands over her face and then up on top of her head, “What am I going to do?”

“You’re going to say no,” Gail immediately spit out, “Marriage is stupid and you hate weddings.”

“I-I…” Holly stuttered. She looked at the sink and then everything else kinda of faded out. Holly leaned back on the counter and then slid down to the ground. She dropped her head in her hands and took a deep breath.

Gail grabbed the bourbon and sat down next to Holly. She unscrewed the lid and offered it to Holly. Holly took it drank a healthy amount. Then she took a breath and had an unhealthy amount. “This isn’t what people are supposed to feel like is it? I feel ill.”

“Me too,” Gail took the bourbon from Holly and drank some. She looked over at Holly, “Do you want to get married to Casey?”

Holly licked her lips, “I don’t- I don’t know.” Holly shook her head, “I mean we already live together.” Holly leaned over and rested her head on Gail’s shoulder. “Isn’t that the same thing?”

“No,” Gail shook her head. She leaned into Holly, putting her arm around her, “If you break up now, all you have to do is get a new place. If you get married…”

“It’s messy,” Holly took a deep breath, “Casey is perfect for me. Why don’t I want to marry her?”

Gail bent her elbow under Holly’s chin and rested her palm against Holly’s cheek. “I don’t know.”

Holly kissed Gail’s cheek and sat up straight, “Let’s go get drunk at The Penny. Maybe day drinking will bring clarity.”

 

“Let’s go,” Gail stood up and pulled Holly to her feet.

They took a cab to The Penny and immediately bought two bottles of alcohol. After three hours of drinking, eating bar pizza, and just incoherent talking, Gail and Holly ended up on the fire escape in the alley behind the bar.

“I wish I could be excited,” Holly sighed, leaning forward on the railing.

Gail leaned back on the bricks behind her and watch hers and Holly’s feet dangle, “Holly, you deserve to be with someone you’d be excited to marry.”

Holly shrugged, “I’ve never met anyone like that.” Holly leaned more onto the railing and looked at the ground under them with a sigh, “I’d marry you.”

Gail immediately smiled and then the smile faded off. She knew that a joke like that shouldn’t make her stomach flood with butterflies. She shouldn’t be watching the way that Holly’s hands loosely gripped the railing. She shouldn’t be entranced by the way the gently breeze blew a few wisps of hair away from Holly’s face. She shouldn’t be watching Holly’s lips part with soft breaths.

“Holly,” Gail whispered against the breeze.

Holly slowly turned around and ran her fingers through her hair. “Hmm?”

Gail scooted closer to Holly and placed her hand on Holly’s cheek. She softly stroked Holly’s cheekbone with her thumb and moved her face toward Holly’s. She stopped a second before their lips touched to give Holly an out.

Holly didn’t want it though. She pulled Gail fiercely against her, pressing her lips to Gail’s. Gail poured everything drunken, raw feeling she was having into the kiss. She slid her hands into Holly’s hair desperately trying to keep the kiss going. Occasionally, she’d thought about kissing Holly. She was usually drunk, but the few sober times she wondered what it was like. The real thing was a million times better than Gail could have ever imagined.

Holly moaned into the kiss. She leaned farther into the kiss and felt something inside of her click. It was like tumblers in the lock all falling into sync at the same time. Holly had never felt anything like what was happening. It was terrifying.

She immediately pulled away from Gail when she realized what was happening. She covered her mouth and looked at Gail, “Oh my god. I’m so – I’m sorry.”

Gail slowly opened her eyes and licked her lips. “You don’t need to be sorry. I did it.”

“Why did you…do that?” Holly quietly asked, letting her hands fall into her lap.

Gail looked at the alley below. “I don’t know. I wanted to. I think.”

Holly looked over Gail’s face and saw all the tumultuous emotions behind Gail’s eyes. She knew that Gail was drunk and may not remember ever kissing her. Holly pushed some hair out of Gail’s face. “Let’s go get a room across the street and sleep this off.”

Gail nodded in agreement, but still wanted to talk to Holly. They dropped their empty liquor bottles in the dumpster and then climbed down. Across the street, Holly booked a room. Gail was hyper aware of how close she was standing to Holly. She realized that she had her hand on Holly’s back at the check in desk. She could feel the heat coming off of Holly’s body in the elevator.

When they got to the room Holly booked, Gail stood close to the door when Holly was locking it. When Holly turned around, she almost ran right into Gail. Gail took a step closer to Holly and touched her cheek. They were only a breath apart.

“Gail,” Holly quietly breathed against Gail’s lips.

Gail licked her lips, while her eyes traced Holly’s, “What do you want? Right now.”

“I want to kiss you again,” Holly immediately confessed.

That was all Gail needed to hear. She surged forward and pinned Holly against the hotel room door. The kiss was less tentative than the first. It was frenzied and passionate. Gail’s hands slid down to Holly’s ass and to the backs of her thighs. Holly was easily lifted off of the ground.

Gail pivoted and took two steps, balancing Holly on her hips. Holly didn’t stop kissing Gail when Gail laid her down on the bed. Gail stripped off her jacket and laid her body on top of Holly’s.

“Gail,” Holly breathed out when Gail moved her lips to Holly’s neck.

Gail paused and looked at Holly’s face. She pushed the hair out of her face, waiting for Holly to speak.

Holly bit her bottom lip, “Are you sure? I don’t want to do anything you’re going to regret.”

“I won’t regret it,” Gail assured her with a gently peck on the lips.

“What are we doing?” Holly asked, timidly.

Gail kissed Holly briefly and then rested her forehead on Holly’s, “We’re doing what we want to do. We’re doing what feels right, right now. And I know you don’t do hedonism, but right now…”

Holly cut Gail off by pulling Gail down so quickly their lips crashed together. 

_**Part 2** _

Gail woke up to the sound of vomiting. She rolled onto her back and found herself alone in a hotel bed. She was naked, but still warm. Gail sat up and pushed the hair out of her face. It took a moment to remember what transpired the night before. Not because she was drunk when it happened. She was in such a deep sleep that it was hard to recall anything in the waking world.

Gail quickly called in a room service order for toast, water, and coffee. Then she pulled the sheet over her shoulders and stood with it hanging around her like a cape that hide her bare body. She walked into the bathroom and found Holly leaned back against the bathroom wall. She looked like an absolute mess.

A bathrobe hung limply around Holly’s shoulders. She had managed to get on a bra and panties before emptying her stomach into the toilet. Holly looked up at the ceiling and groaned.

Gail picked up a washcloth and ran it under some water. She moved next to Holly and gently pulled Holly down so that Holly’s head was in her lap. Gail ran the washcloth gently over Holly’s face.

“I think I drank too much,” Holly groaned.

“You think?” Gail asked with a hint of a smile.

Holly closed her eyes and inhaled through her nose. “I haven’t been this hungover since high school.”

There was a knock on the door and the telltale call of “Room service.”

Gail dropped a kiss on Holly’s forehead, “Why don’t you go get in bed and I’ll get the food?”

Holly slowly stood up and Gail rose easily. Holly shuffled to the bed and flopped back down. She pulled the covers over herself and sighed deeply. With the sickness subsiding, what happened the night before was hitting her like a ton of bricks.

Gail set the food on the nightstand and placed a bottle of water on Holly over the blanket, “You need to drink something.”

Holly knew she was right so she sat up to drink, but then lay back down with her back to Gail. She didn’t know if she could handle Gail being sweet to her right then. It would just feel like another knife thrusting into her stomach.

Gail sensed the cold shoulder she was getting. She knew that Holly was going to feel guilty. Holly had never cheated on anyone ever before. And for the first time in their long, deep friendship, Gail couldn’t think of anything to say or do to make Holly feel better. This was the first time that Gail was actually part of the problem.

Gail sat with her back against the headboard and looked over the coffee in the mug she was holding. She softly asked, “Do you want some coffee?”

“No thank you,” Holly squeezed her eyes closed praying that this was some kind of wonderful, horrible dream.

Gail ran her thumb over the rim of the mug and sighed. She put the coffee down and stood up out of the bed. She muttered, “I’m sorry,” before she started getting dressed.

Holly immediately turned around and looked at Gail. She was internally panicking. She needed to talk to her best friend, but she didn’t know how at the moment. It was the most confusing thing that Holly had ever experienced.

“Why are you leaving?” Holly asked, her voice barely reaching Gail’s ears as she pulled her shirt on over her head.

Gail turned around to look at Holly, “I don’t know.” Gail saw the fear in Holly’s eyes, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Me either,” Holly confessed. She sat up and adjusted the robe around herself. Her mouth twitched with the uncertainty of a question she knew she needed the answer to, “Do you regret it?”

Gail thought about it while she stood over the bed, staring at the stark white sheets. She licked her lips and finally met Holly’s eyes. When she looked down at Holly, laying on the bed confused and vulnerable, yet beautiful and alluring as ever, Gail shook her head, “No.”

Somehow that made everything a hundred times more complicated in Holly’s mind. She swallowed and leaned back on the headboard. She didn’t even know what to say anymore. She didn’t know the questions to ask to get to the answers she needed. She didn’t even know if she could speak anymore.

Gail sat down on the bed. She knew that Holly needed her, even if she was part of the problem because they were still best friends no matter what happened. She sat a good distance away from Holly, but close enough to reach out and touch her if she ever gathered the bravery to. Gail looked at her nails, “I don’t know about you, but I think I’m going to lay off of tequila for a while.”

Holly couldn’t stop a smile from breaking across her face. Despite everything, Gail could still make her smile. Holly looked over at Gail and knew that she couldn’t ice Gail out, no matter how much she felt like she should. Her smile faded when she asked Gail a question she’d asked Gail a million times ago, that now had the gravity of a million questions, “What am I going to do?”

Gail shrugged, “I can’t tell you what to do this time.”

Holly laid down on the bed and looked at up at the ceiling, “Can we suspend reality for a few minutes?”

Gail looked at the clock, “We have three more hours before check out. Suspend away.”

Holly grinned, “You are very, naturally talented.”

Gail was about to ask what Holly meant when she remembered what they did the night before. Gail looked down with a slight blush, “I, um, thank you.”

“No really,” Holly enjoyed bashful Gail because it was so rare, “Thank you.”

Gail pulled the pillow out from behind her and hit Holly in the face with it, “You’re the worst.”

Holly propped up her head with her arm and looked up at Gail. Her smiled faded a little, but there was still a twinkle in her eyes, “So, how was your experimental foray into LesbianLand? Before you answer, in my defense, I was really, really drunk.”

“Experimental?” Gail blinked. She frowned.

Holly sat up a little, “Was this…” Holly shook her head, “I’m sorry. I should have thought more about what this is to you. You didn’t tell me you were…having these feelings.”

“Look, don’t make a big deal out of it,” Gail sighed. She took a sip of coffee to give herself some time. “It was fun. We had fun right?”

Holly was a little hurt at Gail’s sudden dismissal of their wild night of copious booze and intense, surprisingly passionate sex. “Right. Fun.” Holly licked her lips and looked at the bed, “Are you sure you don’t want to talk? This is new for you.”

“I’m not ready to put a label on anything,” Gail quickly spit out, “I don’t know if it’s just you or women in general.” When Gail realized that she just confessed a physical attraction to Holly that she couldn’t quite quantify before actually kissing Holly.

All expression dropped off of Holly’s face. Having been Gail’s best friend for almost two years, she knew exactly what Gail meant every time she said something and the realization that Gail may have been attracted to her beyond friendship was almost incomprehensible to her. Her initial attraction to Gail was dampened by the introduction of her boyfriend, but they became quick friends and Holly had grown happy with just being Gail’s friend. Gail’s confession added an entirely new layer of confusion.

Gail did something that she would usually do, hoping to land some comfort back on top of them. She took Holly’s hand and traced the lines of her palm. “You know how you’re a compulsive truth teller when you’re drunk?”

“How can I forget when you question me about every embarrassing thing you can think of when we go out drinking?” Holly asked with a lazy smile.

Gail momentarily smiled back. Then the smile dropped and she looked down at Holly’s hand. “Do you remember what you said to me? On the fire escape?”

Holly bit her bottom lip, “No. I don’t. I don’t remember much before we kissed.”

Knowing that Holly didn’t remember meant that she could drop a bomb on Holly or she could keep it to herself. The one thing that really resonated with Gail, other than their physical activities, was that in the midst of trying to find a way out of marrying Casey, Holly said that she would marry Gail.

“Gail?” Holly asked softly, “What did I say?”

Gail knew it would complicate things more and it may cause a bigger, more awkward rift between them. Gail shook her head, “You were just mumbling about your favorite autopsies or something. You’re weird.”

Holly snuggled into her pillow and just enjoyed Gail playing with her hand, “Sorry.”

“I love it when you’re weird,” Gail quietly added.

Holly looked completely vulnerably up at Gail. Somehow her words had so much more impact right then than they ever had. Holly flexed her jaw to stop herself from kissing Gail again. Eventually they were going to have to leave the hotel and their little bubble of comfort. She didn’t want to make things worse than they already were.

Holly spotted the remote on the bedside table and picked it up. She silently turned on the TV and lay down with her head in Gail’s lap. As much as she didn’t want to confuse things more, she needed the comfort of her best friend. Gail immediately started running her fingers through Holly’s long, dark hair completely unsure of what else to so. 

_**Part 3** _

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Gail asked, standing on Holly’s front porch.

Holly nodded, “Yeah. I need to do this myself.”

Gail looked in the driveway and didn’t see Casey’s car which she counted as a good thing. “Call me if you need anything.” Gail awkwardly shifted her weight from one foot to another. It was weird. Usually they had a long hug before they parted ways. Now she wasn’t really expecting much more than a glance over Holly’s shoulder.

Holly smiled when she saw how nervous Gail was. She moved into Gail and put her arms around Gail’s shoulders. “We’re still friends. No matter what.”

Gail held Holly against herself, “Good.”

Holly fell back on her heels and looked over Gail’s face with a new, open fondness. “I’ll call you after I talk to Casey.”

Gail nodded. “Good. But really if you need anything.”

Holly didn’t say anything else. She slipped into her house, leaving Gail standing on the porch. She slowly turned around and walked to her car.

The ring stared at Holly from the kitchen. She had left it on the counter, open and twinkling in the light. Holly pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. She was looking at it and the longer she did, the deeper the knife of guilt wedged itself into her stomach.

Tears coated her eyes and she dropped her forehead onto her knees. She’d never screwed up this royally in her life. Holly squeezed her eyes closed and wished she knew what she should do.

 “Peck,” Oliver slid up next to Gail who was parked at the bar in The Penny. “What are you doing here? You didn’t get enough yesterday? And where’s your other half? I haven’t seen you two here without each other in years.”

“I got too much yesterday,” Gail sighed. She picked up her drink and took a sip. Gail put the glass down and looked over at Oliver. “Too much Holly.”

“Too much Holly?” Oliver asked and flagged the bartender down for a beer. “I never thought you two would get enough of each other.”

“Oliver,” Gail turned farther toward him, “We got  _too much_  of each other.”

“Oh,” Oliver took his beer. Then he looked over at Gail with wide eyes, “ _Oh_. Well congratulations?”

Gail shook her head, “No. It’s…complicated.”

“Because of that K-9 officer,” Oliver offered, “The one that Holly is dating.”

“They’re perfect for each other,” Gail sighed, “They go running together and read the same books. They’re both terrible at video games. They both like to eat healthy and go camping. I hate all that stuff.”

“But you and Holly are close even though you don’t have those things in common right?” Oliver asked, putting his hands around his beer.

Gail nodded slowly, “Maybe not so much anymore.”

“Was it a drunken one night thing or are there….feelings?” Oliver looked over at Gail.

“There’s….” Gail sighed and looked down. She ducked her head, “Feelings. But there’s also a ring that we found in her house. Holly thinks that Casey is going to ask Holly to marry her. And she freaked out and I freaked out and then we… _freaked_.” Gail ran a finger over the rim of her glass and smiled wistfully, “Holly doesn’t really believe in marriage. She looked like she was going to puke when she saw the ring and when we were outside, we were drunk, but she told me she would marry me.”

Oliver was quiet for a moment, “Do you want to marry her?”

Gail shrugged, “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter though. She went home to tell Casey what happened.” Gail ran a hand through her hair, “What if Casey is all understanding and they decide to get married because they’re perfect for each other?”

“Sometimes perfect isn’t really perfect, you know?” Oliver asked.

Gail sense something deeper in Oliver’s meaning and asked, “What’s going on? Are you and Zoe okay?”

Oliver shook his head, “No. We haven’t been for a while, but…when she asked me to move back in I didn’t think that it would be this hard to move forward.” Oliver shook his head, “We’re talking about you.”

“We can talk about you,” Gail offered, “I’m okay, pretending that I’m not a mess for a little while.”

Oliver took a drink of his beer, “You and me, Peck. It’s hard to be a copper. It’s harder to not be one.” He offered his bottle to Gail and she clinked her glass to it. They both took a drink ready to wallow in their relationship problems.

Gail only had two drinks. She was still tired and just wanted to go home. She slowly walked up the stoop to her apartment and up the stairs to her floor. There is where she found someone unexpected sitting in the hallway in front of the door.

“Holly, are you okay?” Gail asked, immediately moving to Holly. She knelt down next to her friend who had been staring off into space.

Holly’s eyes were red and Gail knew it was because there were tears. Holly slowly stood up and Gail stood with her. Holly shook her head, “It’s over. Casey broke up with me. She asked me to move out. I don’t know what to do.” Tears welled up in Holly’s eyes, “I don’t have anywhere to live. I broke her heart.”

Gail put her arm around Holly and turned her toward the door to her apartment, “You always have somewhere to live.”

Gail unlocked the door and let Holly into her apartment. It was a small, one bedroom. It was in a nice neighborhood, but it was inexpensive enough to keep when she and Nick were together.

Holly sat down on the couch immediately. Gail closed and locked the door. Gail went to drop her duty bag in her bedroom before coming back to the living room and flopping back on the couch next to Holly.

“You told me that you’d marry me,” Gail blurted out after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.

Holly blinked, “What?”

“You were drunk and we were sitting on the fire escape behind The Penny,” Gail looked over at Holly, “You said you’d marry me.”

A deep blush flooded Holly’s cheeks, “I, um, I’m not – I haven’t thought about it. I mean…” Holly sighed. “Well things can’t get any worse now can they? Yes, I’m sure you’re the only person that I’d ever marry.”

“Is it because I’m a natural talent?” Gail immediately joked. It’s not like she could stop it. When things were tense and awkward, she joked.

Despite everything, Holly felt comfortable talking to Gail. She leaned back on the arm of the couch and looked at Gail. She smiled and then shook her head.

“What?” Gail asked, knowing that Holly was thinking something and right then Gail would take anything Holly said because Holly had sort of shut down.

Holly licked her lips, “You know, I know I was with Casey for a long time and she was the longest romantic relationship of my life, but even when she was telling me to get out, all I could wonder was if I had ruined the best relationship of my life.” Holly poked Gail’s shoulder, trying to indicate that Gail was that relationship.

Gail nodded, “I’ve been worried about that too.” She tilted her head, “Are we going to be okay?”

“Yes,” Holly nodded affirmatively, “Because I won’t lose you.”

Gail had been avoiding talking about it, but she knew that if they weren’t going to grow apart they needed to talk about where they stood. “So are we – can we…” Gail was frustrated with her lack of ability to string together a sentence. She looked down to regroup and then looked back at Holly, “What are we now?”

“I guess that depends on what you want to be,” Holly countered softly.

“We,” Gail started, but stopped. She swallowed, “I love you, Holly. You’re my best friend. You’re the only person that I trust completely.” Gail picked up Holly’s hand and held it in both of her hands, “I don’t want to lose that, but there’s…something else now.”

Holly nodded in agreement, “There is.”

“What is it?” Gail asked. Holly always knew what things were. She knew their names and how they came to be. Gail always looked to Holly for that kind of thing. Now she was looking to Holly and Holly didn’t have the answer.

Holly shrugged, “I don’t know.”

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Gail asked. She brought Holly’s knuckles to her lips on a whim.

Holly bit her lip over a smile, “I…You know when you do things like that it makes me want to kiss you again.”

“Oh yeah?” Gail grinned. She picked up Holly’s other hand and kissed her knuckles. Then she kissed Holly’s palm, followed by the inside of her wrist.

Holly smiled and leaned forward toward Gail. She dropped a soft, sweet kiss on her lips. It was all the more magical now that she was sober which was both elating and terrifying. Holly leaned on the back of the couch and turned fully toward Gail.

Gail slowly opened her eyes after the kiss and took in Holly. “Is this okay with you? The kissing and the sex?”

“As long as it’s okay with you,” Holly swallowed, “I don’t want you to feel like you have to continue it because the one time we slept together my other relationship dissolved. It wasn’t your fault.”

“You should know by now that no one can guilt me into anything,” Gail touched Holly’s cheek and then smiled, “I don’t know what it happened, but I am attracted to you in all the ways that one could ever be attracted to anyone.” Gail drew Holly into another kiss, this time deep and lingering. “And I want to continue this for as long as you want to.”

“Okay,” Holly smiled. “But if we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right. Which means, I have to find my own place as soon as possible and because as much as I’m all with the sex thing, I’m not sure I’m ready to share a closet with you.”

Gail furrowed her brows, “What do you have again my clothes?”

Holly laughed, “Nothing. They’re just not my style.”

“Not your style?” Gail rolled her eyes, “Not enough fleece for you Holly? Not enough backpacks?”

Holly surged forward and kissed Gail catching her off guard. Gail smiled against Holly’s lips though and leaned back enough to tip them both over so that they were laying the length of the couch. Laughter broke their kiss, but only for a moment before they dove back in.

Despite everything that happened, Holly was absolutely content. She may have lost a comfortable relationship, but she could already feel with Gail there was passion and excitement. They were more than comfortable together. They were best friends and if Holly believed in such a thing, she would say that they were soulmates.

Gail noticed Holly’s kissing slowly and pulled back to look at Holly. She smirked, “What are you thinking about, nerd?”

“You,” Holly smiled. She kissed Gail and felt Gail’s hands sneak under the back of her shirt, “And how I’m going to deal with all the video games you play.”

A wicked smile crossed Gail’s face, “You could just get naked. That _always_  takes priority.”

Holly playfully kissed Gail and pulled away, “Noted.” She moved her kissed to Gail’s neck and mumbled against Gail’s skin, “You know, I think this is going to work out well.”

_The End_


	68. Inspired by Aliyah’s Cascade Commercial

Gail kicked at the porch of the townhouse. She wasn’t sure that Holly would want to see her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to return the ring that Holly had left at her apartment, but it was in her hand and she had already rung the doorbell so there was really no turning back. She was trying to be an adult about things instead of throwing Holly’s favorite ring into the lake or something equally juvenile and totally in Gail’s wheelhouse.

The door opened and a man smiled widely when he saw her, “Gail!” He stepped out and hugged her, “I thought you were still undercover.”

Gail wriggled away from the man and looked at him skeptically, “Have we met?”

“No,” he smiled, “Sorry. I’m just really excited. Holly had told me all about you. I’m Andrew.” He scratched his strawberry blonde beard and smoothed out his shirt. He offered his hand to Gail, “Nice to finally meet you.” After they shook hands he got really excited again, “Come in. Holly is in the kitchen. We were about to have some spritzers on the back porch. We have some left over shawarma if you want some.”

Gail was so confused she just walked into the townhouse. As she was wiping off her feet, Andrew walked excitedly ahead of her and disappeared into the kitchen. Gail could hear the two of them talking.

“What is this?” Holly asked after the rattling of a paper bag.

“Bargain dishwasher detergent,” Andrew answered, “It says so on the bag.”

Holly paused and Gail could practically see Holly examining it through the wall. Holly eventually said, “This is like seventy-five percent water.”

“Then put forty-five percent more soap in the dishwasher,” Andrew playfully replied. “I need another glass. We have a visitor.”

“We have a what?” Holly sounded shocked and Gail took that as the time to step around the corner.

Holly immediately moved to Gail and stood in front of her. She looked completely surprised and thoroughly alarmed. “Oh hey,” Holly forced a smile. She looked over her shoulder at Andrew. She could see him looking in the cabinet so she took Gail’s hand and pulled her toward the back of the townhouse, “I’m going to show Gail the new deck.”

Gail was bewildered, but allowed Holly to pull her into the backyard where a beautiful new deck had been built. There was new furniture on it and a barbeque pit that was open and dirty.

“What is going on?” Gail asked when Holly let go of her.

Holly slid the glass door closed behind them, “Andrew is the only foster brother that I kept in touch with. He is in town for some kind of craft show. He calls me a couple times a month to check up on me and he was so excited that I was in a stable relationship that I haven’t told him we broke up yet.” Holly let everything spill out of her mouth like a waterfall. Then she remember that Gail wasn’t actually supposed to be there. She just gave Gail a look that asked the silent question.

“Oh,” Gail opened her fist and presented the ring to Holly on a flat palm, “I found this under my bed.”

Holly moved slowly to take the ring from Gail, “Oh. I’ve been looking for that. Thank you.”

“So I’ll just…go,” Gail stared to move to the back door, but Holly grabbed her arm.

“Gail,” Holly started, but shook her head, “Nevermind. I’ll just tell him.”

Gail quirked an eyebrow and grinned, “You were going to ask me to pretend to be your girlfriend until he leave.”

“I was,” Holly couldn’t help, but smile back, “But it’s juvenile and only sometimes works in movies. It would be wrong to ask you to do that.” She slipped her ring on, “Thanks for returning this to me.”

Gail put her hands in her pockets, “I could if you wanted me to.” When Holly looked at her Gail, took her hands out of her pockets and waved them in front of her, “Not as some kind of weird rouse to get your back or anything. But we were friends first right?”

Holly nodded slowly, “I don’t want to make anything weird or…confused.”

“No confusion,” Gail shrugged, “He seemed really excited so you don’t have to tell him and I get to have some shawarma which I haven’t had…you know, ever.”

Holly looked at the deck under her feet and thought it over. She did miss Gail, especially as a friend. It might be nice to see if they could go back to being friends. She had to ask on more time, “Are you sure?”

Gail just grinned and opened the back door. She stepped inside and called out, “Hey Andrew, you said something about shawarma?”

Holly looked in the back door and saw Gail walk to the kitchen. Andrew seemed delighted that Gail was going to stay and have some food. Logically, it was a terrible idea, but Holly couldn’t help, but want to be around Gail even though she was risking getting hurt again. 


	69. Can we meet for breakfast?

Gail got a text at an ungodly hour. Her phone buzzed and woke her up. She hadn’t been sleeping well anyway, so the text was a great excuse to look at her phone. When she saw who the text was from, her heart caught in her throat. It was from Holly.  _Can we meet for breakfast?_

Gail immediately answered,  _Yeah. When?_

 _Now?_ The answer was almost immediate.

Gail looked at the clock. It was almost four in the morning, but she wasn’t going to get any sleep anyway.  _Okay. Galaxy Café?_

Holly took an entire three minutes to reply. Gail knew it was three minutes because she stared at the clock on top of the screen.  _Okay. I’ll see you there._

Gail took entirely too much time to pick out what to wear. Then she looked in the mirror trying to decide how to do her hair. She didn’t really have many options, but she still wanted to look her best. She hoped this was some kind of rekindling date and not a need for closure date.

Holly was already sitting down, drinking tea when Gail walked in. Holly was looking out the window next to the table and didn’t see Gail until she pulled the chair out for herself. Holly stood politely when Gail arrived and sat down with her.

The waitress immediately appeared at the table and asked Gail what she wanted to drink. “Coffee,” Gail answered, not really interesting in eating or drinking.

Holly didn’t look up at Gail. She knew that she should. It was the polite thing to do, but it was just so hard. Holly drug her eyes up to the officer in front of her. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“No… no,” Gail shook her head, “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Me either,” Holly took a deep breath. She ran her thumbs over the rim of her mug. She smiled at Gail, “I bet you’re wondering why I called you to breakfast so early.”

Gail nodded.

Holly smiled a little wider, “Well, I am wondering the same thing.”

Gail smiled back, “I think it’s because I’ll eat the bacon off of your plate and you’ll eat the oatmeal off of my plate. It’s okay. I understand. Bacon grosses you out and you always forget to say that you don’t want it.” Gail teased Holly gently, easily slipping into a familiar repertoire with Holly.

Holly chuckled, “That may be it.”

Gail pushed the menu away when the waitress came back and ordered what she usually did when she was with Holly. Holly did the same and thanked the waitress who walked away.

Gail wasn’t sure what to say, but she was thankful that at the very least it seemed that they could remain friends. “I solved my first homicide today.”

“Really?” Holly smiled, obviously proud.

Gail nodded, “Yup. I mean the guy that shot the other guy was hiding in the closet crying, but I caught the suspect and I’m going to take that as a ‘W’.”

“Congratulations,” Holly felt less nervous and more like it used to be, “You’re well on your way to becoming a detective.”

“Ugh,” Gail sighed, “I don’t know about that. I still feel like a rookie sometimes.”

“I’m sure everyone does,” Holly assured Gail. “It’s not really a job that you want to get complacent in.”

Gail nodded, “You’re right.” She didn’t want to talk about her inadequacies anymore so she gestured vaguely, “How are the dead people?”

“Still dead,” Holly grinned. “But I did a few autopsies today, including the one of the man that belongs to that thumb you brought me.”

“Single gunshot wound to the head?” Gail asked, a little enthusiastically.

Holly held up three fingers, “Three to the chest.”

“Damn it,” Gail leaned back in her seat, “I bet Oliver it was one to the head. I guess I’m buying him lunch tomorrow.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” Holly leaned onto the table with her arms crossed, “Any other dreams I can dash before the food gets here?”

“Oh too late,” Gail looked over and saw their food coming. She watched it being set down in front of her and they both thanked the waitress. Gail reached over and picked up the bacon off of Holly’s plate and Holly took the tiny bowl of oatmeal off of Gail’s.

“Oh,” Gail said between bites of bacon, “I may need to you explain to McNally how you rehydrate a thumb because she doesn’t believe me when I explain it to her.”

“And why wouldn’t she believe you?” Holly asked, mixing some blueberries into her oatmeal.

Gail shrugged, “I don’t know.” She dropped her bacon onto the plate and picked up her fork, “I mean, we’re dating. I heard all the procedure stories a million times.” It only took a second after that sentence for Gail to realize what a verbal flub she released. At first she looked panicked at Holly, then she dropped her eyes. She continued to eat, “I mean dated. Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Holly didn’t want her to feel awkward, even though she suddenly felt just as awkward. She quietly started eating and wondered what Gail was going to say.

But Gail didn’t have anything else to say. She didn’t really trust her mouth anymore. After all the food was gone, Gail paid the check and Holly didn’t argue. They walked out of the restaurant together and Gail gestured to Holly’s car, “How many times do I have to tell you to park under a streetlamp?”

Holly finally smiled, “I don’t know.”

“C’mon,” Gail started walking toward the car, knowing that she wasn’t going to let Holly walk across the street to a dark corner by herself.

Holly followed Gail with a light smile on her face. She stopped next to her car and looked at Gail, “Thank you for coming to have breakfast with me.”

“Thanks for asking,” Gail kicked at the ground, “I’m glad – I’m glad we can still hang out, you know?”

Holly smiled, “I know.” Holly looked down and then back up at Gail, “So I have this Police Department Gala to go to and I’m sure you’re already invited, but I can bring a plus one… so I was wondering if you have plans next week.”

Gail tilted her head, “Is this a date?”

Holly swallowed, “I don’t know yet. Can it be a friend date for right now? I can’t – I want to, Gail, but I-”

Gail interrupted Holly, “Hey.” When she had Holly’s attention she picked up her hand, “I messed up. I know I messed up and if I still get to be your friend, I’m happy. If you want to try us again, then I’m happy. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it and no pressure. Really. I’m working on, you know, emotionally growing up or whatever.”

Holly was once again proud of Gail. She slipped her arms around Gail’s shoulders and pulled her into a hug. She felt Gail pulled her tight against her body.

When they finally both felt comfortable enough to let go, Holly pushed her glassed up and smiled at Gail, “It’s Saturday. I’ll pick you up at seven?”

Gail smiled back, “Plus one forever.”


	70. Gail And Holly at Leo's Hockey Game + Cardigan

Gail walked uncomfortably among the hockey moms. She could think of a million places she’d rather be, but she promised Traci that she’s go to Leo’s hockey game since Traci picked up a last minute, high profile case. She was a little late arriving and the game had already started, but Gail made her way toward the rink. She wanted to find a place next to the glass so that Leo could see that someone was there to support him.

As Gail was saying, “Excuse me,” for the tenth time when trying to get around the hockey parents with their signs and their large bags, she heard someone yell, “Go Leo!”

Gail knew the voice and only took a second to see out the face that went with the voice. Gail walked down the stairs toward Holly who was standing by herself near one of the goals.

Holly saw movement next to her and blinked, “Gail? What are you doing here?”

“I promised Traci that I’d come and take Leo home,” Gail shrugged, “I’m his unofficial step-aunt or whatever. What are you doing here?”

“Traci asked me to take Leo home after the game as well,” Holly glanced back at the ice before looking back at Gail.

“Do you even know each other?” Gail asked, questioningly.

Holly nodded, “She’s a detective. She’s in my office pretty much every other day. We hang out sometimes.” Holly shook out of feeling the need to defend herself, “You can go if you want to.”

“No,” Gail detected a little hostility in Holly’s voice and decided to be adolescent about it by being hostile back, “I told Traci that I’d be here. I’m staying.”

Holly shrugged, “Suit yourself.” She turned back to the game in front of them, “Go Leo!”

“He’s not even on the ice,” Gail huffed and took off her coat. She put it on the chair next to the seat that Holly’s coat was draped over. Gail pulled her cardigan around herself to try to shield herself from Holly.

Holly watched the puck fly to the other side of the rink and noticed something about Gail while her head was turned in that direction, “Is that my sweater?”

Gail looked down at it. It was Holly’s sweater. She didn’t even think about it. However, she wasn’t about to admit that it was in fact Holly’s sweater, “I don’t know. Did you sew your name into the tag?”

Holly rolled her eyes and took Gail’s hand. She turned it over and saw a tiny stain in her wrist of the sweater, “Yeah, this is where you got ink all over my sweater.”

Gail took her hand back, “Only because you couldn’t figure out how the change the ink in your printer yourself.”

Holly couldn’t help, but smile a little bit, “It’s hard when someone is heckling me, half-naked on the desk.”

“I was only three fourths naked,” Gail tried to bite back, but Holly’s little smile was getting to her. She cleared her throat and looked back at the game.

Holly smiled fully when Gail wasn’t looking and looked back at the game. After the first period, Holly reached down into her coat pocket and got out a small wad of money, “I’m going to get some hot chocolate. Do you want some? With marshmallows?”

Gail automatically nodded because it felt so natural to just do things with Holly. “Hold on.” Gail reached into her pocket and pulled out a five. “Here.”

Holly waved it off and walked past Gail, “It’s just hot chocolate.”

Gail sighed and looked back at the kids on the ice. It only took a moment for Holly to return with hot chocolate and a big, soft pretzel. “I haven’t eaten all day.”

“Me either,” Gail took her hot chocolate.

Holly promptly ripped the pretzel in half and handed it to Gail. Gail tried to push it away, but Holly insisted, “C’mon. It’s just a pretzel. I’m not asking you to marry me.”

“I guess you’re saving that one for your new girlfriend,” Gail took the pretzel and turned to the game.

Holly wanted to apologize, but she knew she had no reason to. She moved her attention back to the game as well and neither one said a word to the other until halftime.

“Can you believe that?” Gail gestured to the rink, “That giant sasquatch kid keeps knocking Leo around.”

“I wasn’t sure about the rules, but that does seem excessive,” Holly finished off her hot chocolate, “Should we say something?”

“Hold on,” Gail told Holly and walked around the rink. Holly watched Gail call Leo over and tell him something. He smiled and nodded before going back to his team.

When Gail returned, Holly asked, “What did you say to him?”

“Elbow to the ribs,” Gail replied, “I used to do it to Steve when we played hockey.”

Holly smiled, but tried to chide Gail, “Isn’t that against the rule?”

“That kid is using the top of Leo’s head as an armrest,” Gail grabbed her wallet out of her bag and gestured to the snack stand. “I’m gonna get nachos. Do you want jalapenos?”

Holly quirked an eyebrow in question of Gail assuming they were going to eat together.

Gail took it differently. “Yeah. You’re addicted to them. No change.” Gail walked up the stairs to leave Holly gaping after her.

When Gail returned, she had nachos and two bottles of water, “That lady at the concession stand is way too happy. There’s too much boost in her booster club.”

Holly chuckled and accepted one of the waters. They stood up, taking turns holding the nachos while they ate their way through the third period. Holly was completely struck by how they fell back into sync. It was like they never broke up.

After the game was over, Holly clapped for Leo’s team and Gail whooped. They both walked over to Leo together and were surprised when they found him standing with Traci and Steve.

“What’s going on?” Gail asked.

Traci smiled at them both, “Turns out I could make it to the game.”

Steve looked Gail over, “Where are your car keys?”

Gail took them out of her pocket and rested them on her palm to show him, “Right here.”

Steve took them and turned around, “I need your car to go into work.” He started walking off, “I’m sure Dr. Stewart wouldn’t mind giving you a ride. C’mon Leo, let’s go get some ice cream.” Leo trotted off after him.

Traci smiled at the women and started moving toward the door, “I just want you to know that this wasn’t my idea.” She waved and then walked out.

Gail blinked.

“I think we got set up,” Holly rubbed the back of her neck and then crossed her arms.

Gail was still dumbfounded. Then she frowned and shook her head, “You don’t have to take me home. I’ll just call a cab.”

“C’mon,” Holly put her hand on Gail’s back, “I’ll take you home. You don’t have a take a cab.”

They walked out together and Gail stopped at the car, “Are you sure? I can call McNally.”

Holly opened the passenger door for Gail, “If you’re not a serial killer, get in the car.”

Gail looked at Holly over the door. She just held her eyes for a moment. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but it seemed like she and Holly could at the very least be friends again.

Holly finally looked away and bit her bottom lip. Gail finally got into the car and Holly closed it once she was all the way in. Holly rounded the car and took a deep breath before opening the driver’s side door.

When they got out of the parking lot, Gail looked out the window, “It’s supposed to snow tonight.”

“I heard,” Holly pulled to a stop at a red light. “I had snow tires put on last week because it was supposed to snow then.”

“Yeah,” Gail leaned over, “Oliver put me and Chloe on wreck patrol. There was only some lady that spun her car out.”

“As long as I don’t see any accident victims, I’m happy,” Holly offered when the light turned green.

It was quiet for the rest of the drive. When Holly pulled to a stop in front of Gail’s apartment, Holly looked over at her, “Thanks for going on the secret date with me.”

Gail smiled wistfully, wishing it had been a real date, “I can’t believe Traci would set you up when you’re ready seeing someone.”

Holly looked at her steering wheel and ran her hands over the leather, “That didn’t work out.”

“Oh?” Gail asked, a little too happy about it, but concealing it well.

Holly shyly looked over at Gail, “Yeah. Um, it seems that I’m not in a place to start a new relationship right now.” She swallowed.

Gail sat back in her seat as snow started to fall outside, “I get that.” She put her hand on the door handle, wanting to make it look like she wasn’t trying to wait long enough for Holly to confess her undying love. Then Gail shook her head at herself.

“What?” Holy noticed it and asked,

Gail looked over at Holly. “I was just, you know, stalling in hopes that…I don’t know, you’d tell me that you couldn’t get into a new relationship because you’re still not over me and you don’t want to get over me. It’s stupid because I want you to say that so that I don’t have to be vulnerable and tell you that I miss you.” Gail opened the door. “Be careful on Oakclaire Street. There’s a slick spot that people keep hitting and skidding when it snows.”

Gail’s feet touched the ground a second before Holly said, “Gail.” Gail turned around and found Holly looking at her through glassy eyes. Holly licked her lips, “I miss you too. You are the reason my relationship didn’t work out. I’m not over you. I don’t know that I want to be, but I can’t be in a relationship where you run away after every little bump in the road. I deserve better than that and it took me a long time to realize that.”

Gail stood with her hand on the door. She looked down and then back up at Holly, “I know you deserve better than that. I’m sorry.” She caught Holly’s eyes and clenched her jaw. Her stomach was churning when she thought about what she had put Holly though. “I am really sorry.” She sighed softly, “Maybe we could…try being friends again. Then maybe, if you want…we could,” she ran her fingers over the passenger’s seat, “try again? After a while. I’m still working on,” Gail used her hands to gesture at her entire body, “All this. I could definitely use a friend.”

Holly saw sincerity in Gail’s face. She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. She walked around the car and stood in front of Gail, “We can be friends? For now?”

Gail nodded, “Yeah.”

Holly looked down to gather herself, “I would like that. A lot.”

Gail smiled. She went with her gut and pulled Holly into a hug. Holly settled into her arms and deflated against Gail. It felt so good and so right to just be held by Gail. She missed this so much.

“So,” Gail pulled away before she couldn’t let go. She couldn’t stop a smile though, “McNally is making us go to The Penny tomorrow after work. If you have a chance, I’d like it if you came. As a friend.”

“As a friend,” Holly nodded with a smile.

Gail took one of Holly’s hands and swung it between them, “For now.”

Holly chuckled, “Yeah. For now.” She leaned over and dropped a light kiss on Gail’s lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Holly turned around and walked back to the driver’s side of the car.

Gail turned and walked toward her building with a smile on her face. She decided to send a text to her brother,  _I need my keys back butthead._  Of course she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of immediately knowing that his plan worked.


	71. Chapter 71

Gail opened the door to Holly’s townhouse. “Oh my god it’s starting to snow. Why do you want ice cream?”

“I never eat ice cream in the summer,” Holly called, “Dairy makes me sick when I’m hot.”

Gail took off her coat and put it on the coat rack before taking her purchases to the living room where Holly was sitting in front of the fire with her laptop on her lap. Gail sat down with Holly and pulled out the ice cream. She handed Holly hers and opened her own. “What are you looking at?”

“Well, my lease is up soon, so I thought I’d look into buying a house,” Holly shrugged. She pulled the spoon that came with the ice cream out of the lid and took a bite. “What do you think?”

Gail looked at the screen and scrolled down, “Oh that house should be cheaper than that.” She pointed to the screen.

“Why do you say that?” Holly asked.

“Murder-suicide,” Gail took a bite of her ice cream and pulled some of the blanket that was on Holly’s legs onto herself.

Holly hummed, “So I’d have to disinfect everything.”

“Or you could buy a house that people didn’t die in,” Gail offered. She kept looking at the screen while Holly looked around.

“What about this one?” Holly asked.

“Sure, if you like living next door to a grow op,” Gail scooted closer to Holly.

“This one?”

Gail scrunched up her nose, “Uh, I busted a coked up sex party there once. It was gross. Unsanitary.”

Holly looked over at Gail, “Geez, where can I move into?”

“Well,” Gail smiled. She took the computer and opened her email. She opened an email from a real estate agent and showed Holly a house.

“That’s cute, but it’s too big for me,” Holly looked through the pictures.

Gail kissed Holly’s cheek, “Is it too big for us?”

“You want to buy a house together?” Holly asked with a grin. She looked at Gail who was smiling back.

Gail nodded slowly, “Yeah.”

Holly looked back at the house, “I get the closet on the left.”

“No way,” Gail shook her head, “You can shove your backpacks into the closet on the right. I have a lot of shoes.”


	72. Holly takes a bullet for Traci

Over the radio, Gail heard the code for shots fired. It always made her stomach lurch. She flipped on the lights and Dov hit the gas on the car. They flew through the streets readying themselves to provide support for their fellow officers.

Then, about five minutes from the location, Traci’s voice called for an ambulance because there was an officer down. Dov pressed the gas down harder, everyone who it could have been hit. Gail set her jaw and when Dov screeched to a stop behind Traci’s unmarked car, she was the first one out of the car. “Traci!”

The ambulance rolled up right behind them. The medics jumped out and ran toward the house. Traci emerged from the front door and pointed them inside with blood on her hands.

“Who is it?” Dov asked, stepped up onto the porch with Gail.

Traci swallowed and shook her head, “Gail can you go get me a towel?”

Gail looked at the blood on Traci’s hands and the look on her face. Gail immediately knew something was terribly wrong. She tried to step past Traci who stepped in her way. “Gail. Don’t.”

Gail’s eyes started to water knowing that it was only one of two people that would cause Traci to try to protect her. When Steve stepped out of the house with the medics, wiping off his hands, Gail laid eyes on the unconscious body on the gurney. The medics were running to the ambulance with Holly, bleeding through the bandages they managed to get on her.

“No,” Gail whispered as tears started pouring down her face, “No.” Her voice rose as she tried to run after the medics, “No!” Soon it was a blood curdling scream, “Holly!”

Steve grabbed Gail and kept her from running into the ambulance. “C’mon. I’ll drive you to the hospital.”

“What happened?” Gail demanded, pushing past Steve to get to the unmarked car.

Steve got into the driver’s seat and waited for Gail to hop into the passenger’s seat. Steve turned on the sirens and started driving quickly. “We were all going over a murder scene. The murder happened yesterday, but the perp came back. He was hiding in a closet when we got there. He – he shot at Traci, but Holly pushed her out of the way. Traci shot him and he’s dead, but Holly…she was still breathing when the medics got there.”

“Where did she get shot?” Gail asked softly, sniffling so that she could speak. “How many times?”

“I couldn’t tell how many times,” Steve shook his head, “He fired three times. She was bleeding a lot. She got hit in the chest Gail.”

“Oh god,” tears cascaded down Gail’s face again.

There was a silence before Steve asked, “When was the last time you talked to her?”

Gail put her face in her hands, “It’s been a few weeks. I’ve been ignoring her calls. Oh my god.” Gail crumbled into her own arms and quietly sobbed.

Steve put his hand on her back and gently rubbed circles trying to so what he could to comfort his distraught sister.

When they got to the hospital, Gail didn’t even wait for the car to stop all the way to get out. She was already in the emergency room door, flashing her badge, and asking where Holly was when Steve got through the doors. He trotted to catch up with Gail who was following a nurse down a hallway. They stopped at a nurses’ station that was out of the way. The nurse started typing on the computer. “Um, she’s in surgery right now, but she’ll be put in room 7278 when she comes out.”

“So she’s for sure going to get out of surgery okay?” Gail asked urgently.

“Well with every surgery there are risks of complication,” the nurse tried to explain diplomatically. Gail just waved her off and started wandering the halls, looking for what would be Holly’s room.

When she found it, she walked in with Steve right behind her. One step to the side and Gail sat down in the chair in the room. She dropped her head into her hands. “I messed up, Steve.”

Steve knelt down in front of her, “You can’t beat yourself up now.”

“But I can,” Gail looked at her brother angrily, “And I should be. Holly is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I just…I threw it all away.” Gail sniffled, “I got scared because it was serious. It was serious to me and I don’t know…how to handle that.”

Steve put his hands on Gail’s shoulders, “We’re fucked up. Both of us. But Holly – Holly got you and she wouldn’t have wanted you to feel bad for this. She’d want you to sit here and wait for her to get out of surgery because she’s going to want to see you first thing.” Steve looked at the ground to regroup and then looked up at Gail, “Holly told me,” Steve smiled, “Well she told me something about fragmentation of a clavicle or something.” He waited for Gail to smile at Holly’s nerd out. Then Steve licked his lips and went on, “She told me to tell you that she was sorry. She told me to tell you that she loves you.”

The tears in Gail’s eyes doubles and started spilling again. “I’m such an idiot.”

“Holly loves this idiot,” Steve pointed to Gail. “And she’s tough. She’ll make it out of here. She’s probably telling the surgeons what to do while she’s under anesthesia right?”

Gail nodded, “Right.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes.

Steve kissed Gail’s forehead as he stood and walked over to the window. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Traci. Traci had locked down the crime scene after Steve and Gail left. Internal Affairs was on the way. Steve knew that Traci had to stay because she took the shots. He wished he could be there with her, but Traci told him to stay with Gail. Traci was okay and Gail was crumbling.

When the door opened, Gail stood. Holly was wheeled into the room with tubes and wires sticking off of her body. There were two orderlies and a nurse pushing her gurney into the room. They transferred her limp body to the bed in the room and then rolled the gurney out.

The doctor walked into the room and asked Steve and Gail who they were. Steve answered because Gail couldn’t take her eyes off of Holly. “I’m Detective Peck and this is Dr. Stewart’s girlfriend.”

The doctor nodded. “Well the bullet extraction went fine. There were a few minor repairs, but she should be okay. We’re going to monitor her for a while just to make sure that there’s no infection. She’s still under anesthesia, but she should wake up soon.”

Gail moved her chair to Holly’s side and looked over her resting face. Gail shook her head. She’d seen Holly sleep before, but right then, Holly didn’t look right. It didn’t look like she was sleeping. It looked like she was in pain and her face was being forced to be relaxed. It didn’t sit right with Gail.

The doctor left and Steve went to make some calls in the hallway.

Gail looked right at Holly and whispered, “I’m sorry, Holly. I’m sorry that I never answered your calls. I was so stupid. I love you so much. I’m so sorry.”

Gail slid her hand under Holly’s and just held it. It was warm and reassuring.

Dov and Traci came in a few hours later. Gail had no sense of time. She was just sitting in the chair, staring at Holly.

Traci put her hand on Gail’s shoulder, “Did Steve tell you what happened?”

Gail didn’t look up at Traci, “He gave me a general picture.” She sniffled and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand.

Traci gently squeezed Gail’s shoulder, “She pushed me out of the way. She may have saved my life.”

“And I’ve been ignoring her for weeks,” Gail sighed.

“Holly is a good person,” Dov stood at the foot of the bed, “She’ll understand.”

Gail shook her head, “She shouldn’t have to.” Gail slowly rose and walked out of the room.

“Gail,” Traci followed her, “Where are you going?”

“She deserves someone better than me,” Gail sighed, looking down. “I don’t know how to love anyone and Holly, she’s smart and beautiful and she sacrificed herself for you.”

“But Holly loves  _you_ ,” Traci told Gail, putting her hands on Gail’s shoulders.

Gail swallowed and looked down.

Traci pulled Gail into her arms because although they’d never hugged before, Traci knew that Gail needed it, “And when she wakes up. She’s going to ask for you.”

Gail nodded and felt hot tears streak down her face. She wiped away the tears and stepped away from Traci. “Okay. I’m gonna go back in there.” Gail looked down at herself.

“Do you want me to take your duty belt?” Traci asked softly. She knew it was uncomfortable during long periods of time.

Gail unbuckled it, “Yeah. Thanks.”

She handed over her bulletproof vest to Traci as well. Traci promised to lock them up when she got back to 15 to do her paperwork. She made Gail promise to call when Holly woke up.

Gail stepped back into the room, ready to sit at Holly’s bedside until she woke up.


	73. even after 5x07 Holly goes to Peck dinner.

Gail and Steve walked into their parents’ house a little later than they planned. When they stepped in, the alarm beeped twice, announcing that the door had opened.

Elaine walked into the empty living room and smiled to her children with a hint of warning, “You’re late.”

“Sorry,” Steve hugged his mom, “We were working.”

Elaine took both of their coats and hung them up in the closet. Gail spotted a coat in the closet that looked all too familiar. Gail narrowed her eyes, “Mom, who else is here?”

Elaine smiled lightly, “Guests. C’mon.” She walked back toward the kitchen. Steve and Gail started following her. Gail grabbed Steve and pulled him closer and whispered, “Traci is here.”

“How do you know?” Steve asked.

“Her coat is in the closet,” Gail answered and saw her mother step around the corner into the kitchen. “So is Leo’s.”

Steve frowned, “Why would she come?”

They heard more voices than their parents’ when they got close to the kitchen. Their mother announced, “This bottle of wine is exquisite. Where did you get it?”

“Oh, I have a friend with a winery in Okanagan Valley,” a stunningly familiar voice stopped Gail in her tracks, “I helped him pass his boards so he sends me a case of wine at the beginning of every season. I could bring you a couple more bottles. I have two almost full crates sitting in my basement.”

“That would be lovely,” Bill answered, “Maybe next family dinner.”

“Absolutely,” Holly answered.

Gail and Steve stepped around the corner and both had the same deer in the headlights look on their faces when they saw Holly and Traci standing in the kitchen drinking wine with their parents. Leo was sitting at the dining table in the room behind them, texting on his phone.

Gail’s first reaction was the urge to just turn around and walk back out of the house. However her mother was too quick and handed both Gail and Steve a glass of wine. Gail looked to her brother who looked as uncomfortable as she felt.

“Steve,” Bill called, “Come help me set the table.”

Steve started moving without saying anything. He took the stack of plates that his dad gestured to and walked past Traci and Holly into the dining room. Gail looked bewildered at Holly who seemed to be avoiding looking directly at her.

“Will you ladies help me get the water glasses?” Elaine asked Gail and Holly.

Holly put on a smile, “Of course.”

Gail just followed ordered, starting to get the glasses down. Elaine retrieved the ice bin from the freezer and gave it to Holly. Then Elaine stepped out of the room, taking Traci with her to see if they could find some candles in the storage closet upstairs.

“My mom forced you to come didn’t she?” Gail asked handing a glass to Holly.

Holly took the scooper and put ice into the glass, then handed it back to Gail, “She came to my office and politely insisted. I called Traci to ask if she was coming and then we decided together to come.”

“You didn’t have to,” Gail offered.

Holly stopped what she was doing and turned to Gail, “This is a big dinner for you and whether we’re together or not, I want to be here for you.”

Gail licked her lips and looked over Holly’s face. All she found was warmth and caring. Her natural reaction was to say something sarcastic and mean, but instead she lowered her gaze shyly and mumbled, “Thank you.” She drug her eyes up to meet Holly’s and added, “I was kind of freaking out on the way over.”

“What can I do?” Holly asked, gently touching Gail’s shoulder.

“More wine,” Gail smiled and crossed her eyes.

Holly chuckled, “That I can do.” She ditched her icing duties for a moment to grab a bottle of wine that was breathing on the counter. She topped off Gail’s glass and then put the bottle back.

“Thanks,” Gail sighed softly, “Thank you for coming. Tonight is going to be…weird.”

“Lucky for you,” Holly scooped up some ice and put it in a glass, “Weird is my specialty.”

**_Part 2_ **

“So Leo,” Bill looked down the table at the boy, “How’s school going?”

Leo shrugged, “It’s okay I guess.”

There was a dense silence with the only sounds being forks hitting the plates. Then Elaine asked, “So I hear there’s a detective rotation coming up in 15.”

“I think Leo’s a little young for that,” Gail told her mother, knowing full well that her mother was talking about her.

“I don’t want to be a detective,” Leo stated. “I want to be a scientist.”

Gail looked over at Holly who lit right up. Gail rolled her eyes and told Leo, “Holly’s a scientist.”

“Oh yes, you work at the Office of the Medical Examiner,” Bill nodded. He smiled over at Holly, “Any plans for the Chief position in your future?”

“Definitely not,” Holly shook her head, “It’s too much politics. I would never get elected and the Chief doesn’t really get to do any autopsies anyway.”

“You do autopsies?” Leo asked, wide-eyed and interested in the conversation for the first time that night.

Holly smiled genuinely at him, “I do.”

“Why do you say you couldn’t get elected?” Elaine asked.

Holly rested her fork on the plate and picked up her napkin to wipe her mouth, “I mean I’m not a – I’m not someone that can talk to in front of crowds or – I don’t look electable.”

“Of course you look electable,” Elaine told Holly.

Gail scrunched up her nose, “No she doesn’t.” Gail took a bite of her chicken off the end of her fork, “She’s too hot.”

Holly ducked her head to hide her amusement at the shocked look on Elaine and Bill’s faces. Steve hid his smile in a napkin as he looked next to him at Traci who was the only one managing to hold a poker face. But her eyes gave her away. Steve laughing wasn’t helping her keep her straight face.

A dense silence fell over the table before Leo looked across the table and asked Holly, “So you cut open dead people?”

“Leo,” Traci hissed.

But Holly smiled and nodded, “I do.”

Steve picked up a wine bottle and refilled his glass before reaching across the table and refilling Gail’s. She nodded to him in a thanks and picked up her glass.

“Have you ever seen someone’s head busted open?” Leo asked, leaning forward.

“Leo!” Traci squealed.

“Oh yeah,” Holly nodded, “More than once.”

Leo studied Holly, “And you had to go to medical school?”

Holly picked up her fork, “Yup.”

Gail rested her cheek on her fist, “Holly graduated first in her class from medical school.”

“That is impressive,” Elaine turned to Holly, “What medical school did you go to?”

“Like you don’t already know,” Gail snarked under her breath.

“Excuse me?” Elaine cocked her head to the side.

Gail rolled her eye, “Like you don’t have a dossier on every person that Steve and I have ever dated so that we’ll end up with someone to advance your perfect family agenda. It doesn’t matter to you that Steve is stupid dopey, head over heels for Traci or that Holly is the first person I’ve ever been sure I’m in love with.” Gail picked up her wine glass, “All you see is the best detective at 15 Division and the best pathologist at the lab.” She gestured to Traci then Holly as she spoke and then leaned back in her chair to sulk.

Steve smiled over at his sister, actually kind of proud that she stood up to their parents for the first time. Steve rested his chin in her palm and looked at Gail, “Tell us how you really feel.”

“I think it’s time for dessert,” Elaine stood from the table, really unsure how to react. Bill got up and followed her out of the room.

There was a long pause before Leo looked across the table at Holly. He started to say something, but looked at his mom. Traci waved her hand flippantly, “Go ahead.”

Leo’s head whipped toward Holly, “What does the inside of an intestine look like?”

Gail picked up the wine bottle and pour the small amount that was left in the glass. Holly saw her and picked up the wine she barely touched and poured it into Gail’s glass. Holly picked up a breadstick off of Gail’s plate and bit off the end before replacing it and asking Leo, “Small intestine or large intestine?”

While Holly explained what the inside of most of the digestive tract looked like to Leo and Traci, Steve leaned forward on the table to Gail. He smiled, “This is the single greatest dinner we’ve ever had at this table.”

Gail nodded, “I totally agree.” She stood up, “And look at this. I’m leaving before Dad asks you about taking the Sergeant’s exam.”

Holly looked up at Gail and then back at Leo. She stood as well, telling Traci, “I’ll call you later and I can bring my teaching dummy over. I’m going to drive Gail home.”

“The dummy’s name is Dave,” Gail told Traci, like it was important that she knew.

Gail and Holly walked out the front door without either Elaine or Bill seeing them.

“That was definitely not what I thought a Peck family dinner was going to be like,” Holly confessed as she unlocked her car.

“That is definitely not how they usually go,” Gail went to the passenger’s side door. She looked at Holly over the top of the car, “Thank you for coming.”

“Never a problem,” Holly smiled. It wavered a moment when she remembered what Gail had said about being in love with her. Holly forced a smile though and added, “Plus one forever.”

**_Part 3_ **

Gail looked over at Holly as they drove, “You’re going the wrong direction.”

“What?” Holly pulled to a stop at a stop sign.

Gail nodded, “I moved.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Holly stayed stopped at the sign, “Where do you live now?”

“There are some apartments by 15 Division,” Gail answered, resting her head on the back of the seat, “I couldn’t let Chris sleep on the couch anymore and I figured it was time to move into my own place.” Gail sighed, “My own place.”

“Must be nice living so close to work,” Holly offered turning right so that she could turn right again and go in the opposite direction.

Gail shrugged, “I mean, since I don’t have to decide how to do my hair anymore, I can sleep in like an extra hour.”

“That is definitely something that I could get in to,” Holly smiled, “My lease is up soon. Maybe I’ll move closer to work too.”

“Are you going to move in with your new girlfriend?” Gail asked, trying to make conversation and not sound bitter.

Holly’s smile faded. She licked her lips, “Um, that didn’t work out. It was…I wasn’t into it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Gail genuinely wish Holly happiness even though she wished that she could cause that happiness for Holly.

Holly shrugged, “No need to be sorry. Some things just don’t work out.”

“You’re telling me, sister,” Gail leaned on the window. She looked over at Holly who smiled sadly over at her. Gail smiled back with the same melancholy smile.

Gail gave Holly directions to her apartment building and Holly parked outside. Gail opened her door and looked over at Holly in the light of the small bulb in the ceiling of the car, “Thanks for tonight. I know it didn’t really go as planned.”

“It was fun though,” Holly grinned.

Gail nodded. “It was. I’m glad you were there.”

Holly tucked some hair behind her ear. “Really, anytime.”

Gail opened the door fully and slipped onto her feet. When her feet touched the ground, Gail had the terrifying feeling that this was the last time that she’d seen Holly outside of work ever again. She turned around and put her hands in her pockets. Holly was looking at her, waiting to hear what she was going to say. Gail finally forced out the words, “I hope you find someone who makes you happy and… you know, appreciates how amazing you are.” Gail’s eyes dropped because she didn’t want to see Holly’s reaction to what she said. She just nodded to the ground, “I’ll see you around.” Gail closed the door and started walking toward her apartment.

Gail trudged up the stairs and unlocked the door to her apartment. She shut the door behind her and dropped onto the couch. That was the most truly awful feeling that Gail had ever had and it was making her nauseous. Never seeing Holly again was going to be…

There was a knock on her door. Gail slowly stood up and checked the peephole. Holly was standing at the door, nervously. Her hands were in her pockets and she kept pushing her hair out of her face.

Gail opened the door, “Hey, did I forget someth-”

Holly shook her head, interrupting Gail. “I couldn’t date that woman because I’m not over you. I don’t feel like I’ll ever be over you and I’m not sure I want to. You are an amazing person Gail. You’re caring and sweet and funny. I couldn’t let you go, thinking that I didn’t want to be with you because I did. I do. Every second of every day. You are going to make some lucky woman very, very happy someday because you are the most genuine person I’ve ever met.” Holly swallowed back tears and went on, “You are smart and beautiful. There is never a dull moment with you. I just…wanted to let you know that you’re a catch and someday-”

Gail pulled Holly into a kiss. It was bold and brash, but it was an urge that Gail could hardly resist. She buried her hands in Holly’s hair and kissed her like it would be the last time. Because it probably would be.

Holly sighed softly against Gail’s lips and lost herself in the kiss. The lost her breath and she lost her mind. All she could feel was a warm euphoria and all she could think about was Gail’s lips on her own and Gail’s hands on her body.

Gail ran her hands down Holly’s back to the small of her back, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. Her body was hungry for Holly. Her body needed Holly closer.

Holly’s hands rested gently on Gail’s face, gently stroking Gail’s skin.

“You,” Gail mumbled against Holly’s lips before pulling back to look into Holly’s eyes, “I want to make you happy.”

Tears formed in Holly’s eyes. She looked so conflicted. Finally she just smiled. She kissed Gail again, “Are we starting over?”

“If you want,” Gail smiled, elated that Holly was agreeing to see her again.

Holly looked over Gail and pulled her back into a kiss. Gail smiled against Holly’s lips and pulled Holly inside. She kicked the door closed behind Holly and moved Holly to the couch without breaking their kiss.

Holly fell backwards onto the couch with a laugh and Gail lowered herself on top of Holly. Gail paused to make sure that everything that was happening was okay with Holly. Holly gently took Gail’s face in her hands and stroked her cheeks, “Starting over is so overrated.”

Gail grinned and dove back into the kiss.


	74. Small 510 Reaction Fic

Holly was standing outside of the restaurant when Gail walked up. Holly immediately smiled. “Hey, I’m glad you could make it.” Holly reached for the door of the small bistro. 

"Hold on," Gail stopped Holly. She took a step away from the door and to the side. 

Holly tilted her head and followed Gail, “What’s up?”

Gail put her hands in her pockets. “I have to tell you something before we…have dinner.”

"Okay," Holly nodded slowly, getting a little worried. Her mind raced through all the things that it could be. At first she thought that Gail was sick. Then maybe something was wrong with her parents. Maybe she was moving already. Maybe she was getting promoted to detective so she wouldn’t have a lot of free time. Maybe Gail was sick. Holly’s brain kept harping on the idea that Gail was really sick.

"Why are you freaking out?" Gail asked, seeing the look on Holly’s face.

"Are you sick?" Holly asked immediately. 

Gail blinked. “What? No. I’m not sick.”

Holly sighed. “Oh. Okay. Good.” She ran a hand through her hair. She nodded slowly, “Good.”

"I’m… I’m adopting a kid," Gail looked right at Holly when she said it. She wanted to see Holly’s reaction. "Her name is Sophie."

Holly licked her lips. She shifted her weight from one foot to another and then looked away. She looked down the street and then back at Gail. At first she thought it was a joke, but Gail’s face was one hundred percent serious.

Holly looked back at Gail. When she saw Gail’s face, waiting for her reaction, she nodded. “Have you started the process yet?”

"I did yesterday," Gail nodded. 

Holly smiled softly, “Okay then.” She gestured to the front door of the bistro, “Let’s go have dinner.”

Gail looked over at Holly, “Are you okay with this?”

Holly pushed some hair out of her face, “It’s not my decision, but I support whatever decision you make. And if you need a reference, you use me.”

"What about us?" Gail looked down at the sidewalk and then looked up at Holly.

Holly smiled, reassuringly, “This doesn’t change anything except maybe how late we can stay out. And where we go. I know nothing about kids except what I learned in med school, but if you’ll let me, I wanna do whatever you need me to do.”

Gail grabbed the lapels of Holly’s jacket and pulled her in for a kiss. She had been restraining herself. She was worried about Holly’s reaction, but after this reaction she wondered how she thought it would be anything else.

**_Part 2_ **

“Did you get a new apartment?” Holly asked, spearing some lettuce that was in her bowl.

Gail shook her head, “Not yet. I have a really long list of things that I need to do. I’m going to look at a few next week.”

Holly nodded, “I’m serious. If you need any help at all, just let me know. There’s going to be three or four home studies. Sometimes the new social workers like to follow you around.” Holly gestured with her fork. “There will be training and classes.  _A lot_ of reference letters.”

“How do you know so much about this?” Gail asked, picking up her sandwich.

“Those of us who didn’t get adopted heard the story a hundred times,” Holly shrugged.

Gail looked down at the table. She never really thought about that. Holly talked openly about being a foster care, but Gail never thought that that meant she watched some of the kids she lived with get adopted while she never got her forever family. Gail stuttered out, “I’m sorry.”

Holly shook her head, “Don’t be sorry. I’m just glad that you’re going to give this little girl the home that most of us didn’t have.” Holly smiled across the table and added, “I’m proud of you, Gail.”

Gail took a deep breath, “I was really scared at first, but I look at her and…” Gail smiled, “It’s right.”

Holly smiled wider, “Good.” She put her fork down and took a sip of her wine. She put the wine down. She was happy just looking across the table at Gail. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Gail looked down at her plate and smiled. She looked over at Holly. “I’m going to be a mess for a while.”

“That’s fine,” Holly shrugged. “I want to be with you. Mess, children, and all.” Holly tilted her head, “Sophie is lucky. You are going to be an amazing mom.”

“I don’t know,” Gail sighed deeply. “It’s a… I don’t want to be like my parents.”

“That’s the beauty of childrearing,” Holly picked up her fork and resumed eating, “You don’t have to do it like your parents. I certainly wouldn’t do it like my parents.”

Gail nodded, “You’re right. I mean, your parents set the bar really low, but I don’t have to do this like my parents.”

“And you won’t because you’re not your parents,” Holly reached across the table and took Gail’s hand. “I know this adoption thing is huge. It would be for anyone. There is no pressure between us. I know that kids come first. They should come first. If I start to feel neglected, I’ll come pick both of you up and we’ll go to an amusement park.”

“You’re totally okay with this?” Gail knew that sacrifices were going to have to be made. She knew that romantic relationships were probably going to be one of them. She held onto Holly’s hand a little tighter.

Holly nodded, “Of course. I was one of the little kids that watched all the other little kids leave for their forever homes. I had been in the system too long, or I didn’t talk enough. For a few years I was convinced no one wanted me because of my glasses. Sophie is not going to be that little kid because of you and I promise that I will help you get her and take care of her in any way that I can.”

Over the next few months, Holly fulfilled her promise. She would stop by Gail and Sophie’s apartment with presents for Sophie and things that Gail forgot from the store. Holly helped Sophie with her science homework. Sophie got first place in her first science fair because of her human anatomy project with anatomically correct organs made from clay. Sophie’s first birthday party with Gail was saved by a replacement cake being sped with lights and sirens over to their house by Uncle Steve. The first one was knocked over by Sophie, her cousin Leo, and her friends playing soccer in Grandma and Grandpa Peck’s backyard. Her Aunt Traci taught Sophie how to make the best cupcakes in the world, how to drive a stick, and how to ice skate. Gail taught Sophie self-defense and how to match a handbag with high heels. Uncle Oliver taught Sophie gun safety and how to shoot a ‘12’ off of a clock from thirty yards.

When Gail decided it was time to move into a house with a yard so her budding soccer star could have room to practice, she asked Holly to move in with them. Holly, of course, said that she would and revealed a small savings account that she’d been building for the down payment on a house. They bought a three bedroom house in a neighborhood close to Sophie’s school. Gail and Sophie painted Sophie’s new room while Holly retiled the master bathroom shower with Aunt Andy and Uncle Chris. Aunt Chloe and Uncle Dov showed up with a puppy they rescued on the way over and Sophie begged to keep it. Holly was the first one to cave and Gail crumbled right after her. There was enough room in the yard to practice soccer and play with the puppy as well as a shed in the back where Gail could banish Holly and Sophie to do science experiments in a place that wouldn’t ruin the kitchen.

Sophie called Gail ‘mom’ a few weeks before her thirteenth birthday. When Sophie left for school, Gail immediately went upstairs to wake Holly up and tell her. 


	75. Niels Geusebroek - Take Your Time Girl

Gail looked out the window of her house. It was a small house, but it was hers. It was hers and Sophie’s. She smiled. Sophie would be arriving with the social worker any minute. Her heart was pounding and her palms were sweaty. It was an unbelievable thing.

She looked at her phone. She wanted to call Holly again, but Holly was at work. She still felt bad keeping Holly up until about three in the morning the night before talking about how nervous she was, but Holly didn’t seem to mind.

Gail moved away from the window and walked the length of the living room. She crossed her arms and looked around. She wondered if anything needed to be cleaned. She moved away from the front door and peeked into Sophie’s room to make sure everything was still perfect.

As she was closing the door to Sophie’s room, she heard the slam of a car door. Gail ran to the front of the house and looked out the window, hoping it wasn’t just another neighbor getting home from the grocery store or something.

It definitely wasn’t a neighbor, but it wasn’t Sophie either. Gail immediately moved to the front door and opened it as Holly was raising her hand to knock. She was confused and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I was just driving to work and took a wrong turn and though oh well I’ll just keep going this way and ended up at the airport,” Holly babbled on. She swallowed, “And I kinda quit my job and got a new one here. I don’t even have a toothbrush.” Holly was starting to get concerned because everything really did happen so fast. She was actually started to confuse herself. Holly saw the completely shock on Gail’s face and gathered her thoughts, “This is a huge thing for you.” She smiled, “And I want to be here for you. Not just over the phone and video chatting. I want to be in town if you need me.”

Tears were in Gail’s eyes when she threw her arms around Holly. She was so happy to see her. As emotionally raw as she was right then, a gesture like that sent her into tears. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Holly held Gail and whispered, “I’m so proud of you.”

Gail clung to Holly tighter. When a gust of wind blew against her face she pulled away and pulled Holly inside. She closed the door and looked Holly over. She looked exhausted. “Do you quit your job?”

Holly nodded, “I know you have your parents and Steve and your friends, but I couldn’t let you go through this without being here for you and Sophie. It was stupid for me to ever think that I could.” Holly put her hands up, “But don’t worry. I have a hotel room and a rental car. I will leave you two alone when you want me gone. I know that you two need some time. I just – I want to be here for you. I’ve said that like fifty times, but I mean it. So, I’m going to go check into the hotel and -”

Gail pulled Holly into a frantic, emotional kiss. She was so happy that Holly was there and that Holly was back for good. She kissed Holly until she heard another car door.

“Do I look okay?” Gail asked, immediately after pulling away from Holly.

Holly smiled and smoothed out some of Gail’s hair. “You look ready.”

Gail put her hand over her mouth and drew in a shaky breath. She nodded to Holly, not able to manage words before opening the door.

Sophie was standing on the front sidewalk, looking up at the house. She had a purple jacket on with a pink backpack. Her sneakers were worn on the cold sidewalk. She just stared up at the house. The social worker had a bag and walked up to the front porch. “Hi Gail.”

Gail smiled, “Hi.” She politely took the bag that was offered to her, but her eyes wandered back to Sophie who was  still standing on the sidewalk, looking at the house. “Is she – is she okay?”

The social worker looked back at Sophie, “She’s really excited and nervous. I bet a lot like you.”

“Here,” Holly softly spoke and lifted the bag from Gail’s hand. She invited the social worker inside for some tea and took the bag and the social worker inside of the house.

Gail looked at Sophie and slowly made her way down the porch. She shuffled down the walkway toward Sophie and moved to stand next to her, looking up at the house.

“It’s just like the picture you showed me,” Sophie stated.

Gail nodded, “Yeah.” She looked over the grey paints and the white window sills. She windows were glowing with light coming from inside as the sky started to turn overcast.

Sophie shifted her weight from one foot to the other and looked up at Gail. Then she looked back at the house. Gail seemed to understand that this was a huge step for such a little person. She put her hand on Sophie’s shoulder and held Sophie gently against her side, “Take your time.”

They both stood there looking up at the house for a long while before the social worker came back out. She told Gail that the house looked great. She would be back in a week to check on them and gave Gail her phone number if they had any problems.

Once the social worker was gone, Sophie looked back up at Gail, “Can we stand out here just a little bit longer?”

Gail looked down at Sophie and nodded, “Of course.”

Holly came outside to check on them and Gail asked Holly to make some cocoa because they were going to be outside for a little while longer. Holly immediately agreed and retreated back into the house.

Gail sat down on the sidewalk and Sophie followed her lead. They sat on the sidewalk in front of the house. Gail never really looked at her house. She was so worried about the inside that she hadn’t really taken the time to look over the outside much.

It was a cute little house, three bedrooms, two bathrooms. It had a big back yard and a finished basement. It was in a quiet neighborhood. Gail’s neighbors were friendly, but Gail didn’t care much about socializing with them. There was a top ranked elementary school down the street and a park across the street from the school.

“Is Holly going to leave again?” Sophie asked.

Gail shook her head, “No.” She looked over at Sophie. When Holly had the chance, she came to town and the social worker thought it would be good for Sophie to get to know Holly as well since she and Gail were in a relationship.

Sophie nodded, “Okay.”

“Do you like Holly?” Gail asked. The answer was important her on so many levels. She watched Sophie look up at the house again.

“Yeah,” Sophie nodded. “She’s a doctor right?”

Gail put her hands behind her on the sidewalk and leaned back, “Yeah. She finds out how people died.”

“Is she going to live here?” Sophie took off her backpack and rested it in her lap.

“Maybe later,” Gail explained, “But not yet. She wants us to get to know each other first.”

Holly emerged from the house with two mugs of hot cocoa. She didn’t stay outside long. She just dropped off the cocoa and asked if they needed anything else. Then she went back inside.

Gail smiled when she saw the curtain move in her bedroom. Holly was trying to subtly look out the window and watch them. She saw the curtains move back when Holly was caught and smiled a little wider.

“Do you want to go inside now?” Gail asked softly as the sun started to go down.

Sophie nodded. She was out of hot cocoa anyway and it was getting cold. She stood up and grabbed her backpack. Gail offered her hand and Sophie took it so they could walk together into the house.

Gail opened the front door and let Sophie walk in first. Something smelled amazing and the amazing smell was coming from the kitchen. Gail closed the door. Sophie took off her backpack and carefully placed it on the ground next to the coat rack. Gail helped her get off her coat and hang it up.

“I’m hungry,” Sophie looked up at Gail.

“Let’s go see what is happening in the kitchen,” Gail gestured past the living room.

As they walked, Sophie looked around taking in everything.

Holly smiled when they walked in. “Hey Sophie.”

“Hi Holly,” Sophie looked into the pan that was in Holly’s hand and smiled, “Is that grilled cheese?”

Holly nodded. “That’s still your favorite right?”

Sophie nodded.

Gail helped Sophie get seated and got her a drink. Holly put her sandwich down and made another one for Gail. Then she put the soup in bowls and put it on the table. Then she went to the kitchen door. She caught Gail’s eyes, “I’m going to go.”

“Are you sure?” Gail stood up from the table. She was a little worried about being left alone with Sophie. She was still nervous.

Holly smiled and nodded. She quietly told Gail, “You’re doing great. If you need me, I’m ten minutes away. I’ll answer my phone all night.” She tucked some of Gail’s hair behind her ear, “Enjoy your night with your daughter.”

When Holly said daughter, Gail got tears her eyes. She hugged Holly and thanked her quietly. Holly said goodbye to Sophie and left.

After dinner, Gail cleaned up while Sophie got acquainted with her room. Sophie was sitting on her bed, reading when Gail walked in. She leaned on the door, “Do you like it?”

Sophie looked up from her book, “You painted it the color I picked out.”

Gail smiled, “Do you like it?”

“Yes,” Sophie smiled and looked around, “This is my room.”

“It is,” Gail moved to the bed and sat next to her. “Anything else you need we can go get tomorrow.”

“I don’t know what I need yet,” Sophie closed her book and put it on the nightstand.

Gail turned more toward Sophie, “Take your time. The house isn’t going anywhere.”

Sophie leaned into Gail and hugged her waist, “Thank you.” She was thanking Gail for so much more than just offering to buy new things for her room.

Gail smoothed out Sophie’s hair and kissed the top of her head. There were tears in her eyes again. It finally happened. She got Sophie and Holly was back. It took some time, but everything fell into place. She hugged Sophie and replied, “I’m glad you’re here.”


	76. gail and holly meet during the zombie apocalypse

It was a girly scream that brought her down to the depth of the morgue. It all happened so fast. Five infected turned into thousands. The large metropolitan area had been quarantined. Only people with no symptoms at all were being allowed to leave. Of course, she had to come back. She had to make sure that everyone got out of the morgue as weird as that was. She worked with the staff for a long time and they were like family to her.

Holly pushed open the refrigerator door and found none inside. There was an eerie scratching coming from inside one of the corpse drawers, but other than that no sign of life or…unlife.

She didn’t want to call attention to herself. She had done that once before seeing if her neighbor was okay and had to climb out of an air vent to get out of her apartment building. The black tactical pants she got out of abandoned police precinct down the street were sagging around her waist barely held up by her belt. She had raided the evidence room and took what weapons were left. There was a small pistol in a holster on a police duty belt she found. Across her back was a shotgun and in her hand was a machete with the yellow evidence tag still hanging off of the bottom.

There was another scream followed by a few gunshots. Holly ran down the hallway, the boots she found at the precinct and surprisingly fit perfectly, barely making a sound as she raced toward the scream.

She burst through the autopsy suite doors and found a dead zombie on the ground, completely motionless with a few bullet holes oozing on its forehead. By the sink, she could see a police officer with her boot in the sink. The water was running and the officer seemed to be wiping something off of her boot.

“Um, hi,” Holly offered, quietly so she wouldn’t get shot at by the apparently very good markswoman.

“Do you know how to get zombie juice off of my boot?” the irritated woman asked.

Holly blinked, “No. I’m still having the problem of keeping zombies off of my neck.”

The woman turned off the water and put her boot on the ground. She shook the excess water off of her boot and looked at Holly. She looked her over and narrowed her eyes, “Are those my pants?”

Holly looked bewildered down at her pants, “I don’t know. Maybe. I took them out of a locker at the police precinct down the street.” Holly shook her head, “If you haven’t noticed, there’s an apocalypse going on. I think it’s more important than whose pants I’m wearing.”

“Unless they’re mine,” the other woman snapped back.

Holly sighed, “Well I guess I’ll leave you to washing your boots or whatever.” She turned around and started to walk out when the woman called to her, “Wait.” Holly slowly turned around and saw that the snarky exterior had fallen. The woman looked actually scared. She looked down and bit her lip. “Maybe we should, you know, stick together.”

A tiny smile played on Holly’s lips. She nodded. “Yeah, of course. I’m going to check the rest of the morgue and then I’m going to head out of town. Hopefully, we can get out.”

Gail nodded, “My family is already out.” She checked the safety on her gun and followed this stranger out the door, “I’m Gail, by the way. You’d know that if you looked at the label in those pants you’re wearing because my name is written on the tag. Gail Peck.”

Holly was amused by the woman following her down the hallway. “I’m Holly.”

“Why did you come to the morgue?” Gail asked, “That is pretty much the last place I would voluntarily come. I was bringing over some evidence when it started and I got stuck in the bathroom for two hours before I shot my way out.”

Holly peeked into her office to make sure no one was in there. “I work here. That is my office.”

Gail made an exaggerated bewildered face, “That’s weird.”

Holly just rolled her eyes although she took no offense. She had gotten worse comments than that. Holly checked the last room in the hallway and looked at Gail, “What do you say Officer Peck? Are you ready to fight our way out of here?”

Gail looked at Holly like she couldn’t believe what she just said, “No, I want to stay here and die.”

Holly huffed. It was going to be a long apocalypse with that one attached to her.


	77. Holly makes Gail go running with her

"Hold on," Gail slowed her jog to a walk, "Your shoelace is untied."

Holly stopped and looked down. She smiled, “Enjoy the break while you can.” She knelt down to tie her shoes.

While Holly was doing so, Gail slunk over to the edge of the park they were in front of. A little boy was standing there with a little red wagon and a dog leash. She slipped him a fifty and he handed the goods over. 

As Holly was bent over tying her shoes, she felt something clip onto the back of the elastic band she wore around her waist to carry her phone and keys. When she turned around to see what it was, she wasn’t sure she could believe her eyes.

Gail was sitting, actually more like reclining, in a red wagon. The handled of the wagon was tied to a blue dog leash which appeared to be currently clipped onto her belt. 

Gail took a sip out of a juice pouch and put her hand on her knee, “Ow, I hurt my ankle. I can’t run anymore.”

Holly was still at a loss for words, but figure that if Gail was conniving enough to somehow get a wagon and a leash in the middle of their run, that she deserved not to finish the run. 

Holly drug Gail around, getting weird looked from people all the around the neighborhood. However, Holly made sure to park Gail in front of a large puddle as a truck was zooming by, while she ‘tied her shoe’ at a safe distance. 


	78. Gail wakes up in the middle of the night and catches Holly playing with her video games.

"Wha-" Gail sat up in her bed. It was the middle of the night and Holly wasn’t in bed next to her. The cop in Gail kicked in and she was out of the bed in a second.

"Holly?" Gail moved to the living room  that was right off of her bedroom and found Holly sitting on the floor in front of the TV, a gaming controller in her hands. Gail moved farther into the living room and looked Holly over, "What are you doing?"

"Um," Holly paused the game and looked guiltily up at Gail, "I couldn’t sleep so I thought I could…practice."

"Practice?" Gail looked at the screen and saw Holly playing the campaign on her favorite video game. 

Holly shrugged, “I’m terrible at it. I thought it would be more fun for you when we played together if I was better.” Holly turned the game back on, “And I’m really not used to being bad at things so it’s been bugging me.”

Gail looked at the clock. She had to be awake in a few hours anyway. She grabbed the second controller and sat down next to Holly. “Pause it so I can join.”

Holly did at she was told and Gail smirked, “You know you’re not going to get any better playing on easy, noob.”

Holly blinked, “That was easy?”

Gail laughed and kissed Holly, “You’re cute. Let’s kill some aliens.”

 

 


	79. Gail vs SpecialForces!Holly... instant attraction

Gail still couldn’t quite believe her eyes. This woman walked out of the warehouse ten minutes ago, barely a scratch on her, leaving thirteen drug smugglers tied up or unconscious behind her. Her white tank top was barely dirty.

Somehow, Gail was sure that who ever this special forces undercover ninja lady didn’t actually need ten squad cars worth of back up.

Gail saw the woman catch her looking and before she looked away, caught a smirk play on the brunette’s lips.

Gail tried to busy herself with something else when she felt someone next to her arrive like a ghost. The special forces woman smiled, “I’m Holly.” She glanced behind her at the warehouse and then back at Gail, “It seems my night just freed up. Do you want to go get a drink?”


	80. Gail and Holly go to Costco.

"Please tell me why you need ten garden hoses," Holly leaned on the cart with a sigh, "You don’t even have a yard."

Gail kept wandering around the store in awe of all the wholesale bulk glory. “I’m going to do an experiment in your apartment.”

"I’m sorry did you say in my apartment as opposed to outside my apartment?" Holly was getting slightly panicked.

But she didn’t get an answer. Gail muttered, “Ooh bulk cheese puffs,” before she walked off. Holly couldn’t find her for another half hour, finally locating her in the TV section where she was sitting on the floor, eating out of a small barrel of cheese puffs, and watching Wall-E.


	81. Gail goes clothes shopping with Holly.

"Excuse me," there was a light beating on the dressing room door. "I’m going to have to ask you to leave."

Holly was the only one to hear it. She pushed Gail off of her and blushed. “Um, is there a problem?”

"Everyone can hear you making out," the woman’s shrill voice explained, "Please leave."

"Thank god," Gail grabbed her jacket and opened the door.

"I’m sorry," Holly apologized to the manager.

She squealed, “What is wrong with you? What’s a sexy lunch box?”

Holly glared at Gail, “You called me Lunchbox while we were making out?” When Gail grinned Holly started chasing her out of the store. “AGAIN?”

 

 


	82. Holly has a younger sister who is visiting.

"I just saw the hottest cop," Holly’s younger sister, Rhiannon followed Holly through the hallways after they dropped off a file.

"I’m sure you did," Holly answered, not really paying her much mind. Her sister was a hormonal teenager who constantly told Holly the hotness rating of pretty much every person they saw.

"She was like a 10," Rhiannon added taking out her phone, "I should have gotten a picture."

"Please don’t do that," Holly sighed. Her sigh turned into a smile when she saw Gail. 

"That’s her," Rhiannon whispered to Holly. 

Gail spotted them and walked over. She kissed Holly in a greeting, “This must be Rhiannon.”

"Yup," Holly grinned at her sister, "She thinks you’re a ten."


End file.
